Fighting Back
by Tori the Hanyou
Summary: YYHxInuxYGO Crossover! (!COMPLETE!) Two girls, betrayed by the ones they love, run away and become stronger for payback. But when they're captured and taken to the Spirit World, their revenges somehow play into their forced-on mission.
1. The Betrayal

Tori the Hanyou: Ok, this is sort of a sequel to my Yu-Gi-Oh fic, because it has Tori and Yugi as a couple, and everyone else like that. It kinda goes with the same plot as the story Stronger Then Yesterday, by Jaguargirl, and it starts out almost exactly like it, except different. I have the collars, and the demon artifact searching. I'm doing this because I read Jaguargirl's story, and she never finished it, so I wanted to add on my own little twist, plus finish it. Have fun reading it! This is also my first crossover, and since it's a 3-way, I'm gonna have some fun! Also, I've never done a Yu Yu Hakusho fic, but after reading all the others, I'm sure I've got enough info to do it right!

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Yu Yu Hakusho, YuGiOh, or Inuyasha! And I'm NOT saying it again!

CHAPTER SUMMARY: Two girls run away from their so-called lovers whom they thought would never betray them. After six months of hard training goes by, the girls meet up with a certain group of four teenage boys who seem just a LITTLE suspicious...

Fighting Back

Chapter 1: The Betrayal

Kagome sat, watching, confused, as Kikyo backed Inuyasha up against a tree.

"Don't you love me, Inuyasha?" she asked. Inuyasha looked at her, worried.

"Well, I . . .I did, but . . ." he started. Kikyo stared him in the eyes.

"Don't you?" she asked. Kagome couldn't see from her position, but Inuyasha's pupils had closed up, and he muttered,

"Yes, I love you." Smiling, Kikyo wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Then would you be a dear and go get my soul back? That way I don't have to steal anyone else's to maintain this body," she said softly. Kagome felt like she was going to throw up. Inuyasha said he loved Kikyo! LOVED her! Tears sprang to her eyes as she listened to the rest.

"Yes, I will kill the girl who has your soul, and I'll bring it back," said Inuyasha dully. Kagome gasped quietly. Her eyes widened. Not only had he chosen Kikyo, but he now wanted to kill her, Kagome! Tears streaming down her face, she raced off for the village, not caring that she'd drawn attention to herself. She made it back, running into the hut for her things.

Shippo, Sango and Miroku snapped awake when she came in. Sango noticed her tears, and immediately became concerned.

"Kagome? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" she asked. Kagome choked back the fresh flow of tears as she saw the worried looks of her friends, the friends she probably wouldn't ever see again.

"Oh, Sango, it's . . .it's Inuyasha . . ." stuttered Kagome.

"What'd he do this time?" said Shippo, getting angry.

"I have to go," squeaked Kagome, grabbing her bag and running out the door. Her friends followed quickly. Just as they got outside, though, they heard screaming.

"Inuyasha's attacking the village!" cried Kaede as she hurried up to them.

"WHAT?" yelled Sango, Miroku and Shippo. Kagome cried, sobbing into her hands.

"He's . . .he's after me . . ." she sobbed, her shoulders shaking horribly. She ran from the village, heading for the well.

Inuyasha picked up her scent on the wind. Snarling, he shot after her.

Just before Kagome reached the trees, her friends on her heels, she heard his approach. She turned to see him coming. Sango gasped as he lunged at Kagome, claws extended.

"Die, Kagome!" he yelled, slicing through the air. Kagome dove to the ground, just missing his attack. Miroku jumped in front of him, grabbing him by the arm.

"Inuyasha! What is the meaning of this?" he asked.

"Yeah, you love Kagome, why are you trying to hurt her?" cried Shippo. Sango took her boomerang and whacked Inuyasha on the head with it. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

They looked around, but Kagome had vanished.

"Oh, no, she's gone home!" said Shippo sadly, slumping to the ground.

"Now I know she's not coming back," said Sango, "Not after something like this."

"We'll miss you, Kagome," said Miroku, looking along the pathway to the well.

Kagome ran through the forest, panting from exhaustion, stopping when she came into a familiar clearing. She looked up at the Sacred Tree. There was the hole where Kikyo's arrow had pierced Inuyasha, the very same arrow Kagome removed from him fifty years later. She now wished she never had.

She hurried to the well, deciding to leave her friends a goodbye note; Miroku could read. She tacked the note to the well's edge with a thorn and a rock, and jumped in, whispering goodbye to the land she'd come to love.

Miroku noticed the note as they walked up to the well, hoping Kagome had waited for them. Shippo took the note off, and handed it to Miroku to read.

_'Dear Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara, I'm sorry I left in such a rush, but now you know why I can't stay here anymore. Inuyasha wants me dead, and I know you guys would never let him hurt me, but I can't risk your safety for my own. I will be at home permanently now, and if Inuyasha wants to try to come get me or my jewel shards, I have put a seal on the well to prevent him from getting out (yes, this seal works). I am sorry, but we will probably not see each other again. I might return one day, when I see fit, but please do not worry for me. My home is the safest place I know, now._

_Love you always and miss you forever,_

_Kagome'_

* * *

Tori ran through the forest as fast as her feet would allow her. She had shoulder-length dark blonde hair with light-blonde highlights and brown eyes, and was fourteen years old. The darkness served as both an impedance and assistance to her flight, running from the ones who had caused her pain. She fought back tears as the memory replayed again.

FLASHBACK

Tori, having just come back from a long three-day hike, sat in the bushes, watching with horror as she heard her friends' words.

"Yeah, who cares about that girl? I say if she's gone, leave her!" said Tristan, a tall fifteen-year-old boy with brown hair styled to make one point in the front and hazel eyes.

"All she ever did was cause trouble with those powers of hers!" stated Joey, a boy with messy blonde hair and brown eyes. He was fifteen, too. "Don't you agree, Yugi?"

Tori's eyes widened as she looked across the campsite at the fifteen- year-old boy with the spiked blonde hair with red tips and amethyst eyes. 'Yugi, you don't really think that, do you?' she thought. The other two boys, Bakura and Duke, were sitting in the corner of the campsite, completely ignoring the current conversation. Bakura had shoulder- length white hair that he always wore down and chocolate-brown eyes, and Duke had black hair that was tied in a ponytail except for two bangs on either side of his face and sharp green eyes. He also wore a red band around his head and a die hung from his left ear.

"Yeah, I say good riddance, Tori, don't come back!" said Yugi. Those words struck Tori's heart like a knife. She thought Yugi loved her, cared about her. Apparently, she was wrong.

END FLASHBACK

Sniffling and growling to herself for crying, she continued through the dark woods, heading for her home in the city, where the lights shone brightly up ahead. _'Yeah, I knew it all along, I couldn't trust guys before, thanks to Riku, and I thought Yugi was the one who changed it for me. But I was right the whole time. Guys can't be trusted, they're pigs, slobs, dogs, morons, and, most importantly, jerks. I'm never going back to him; I'm going back to the way I was before. I'll be solo, this time, except for Kagome.'_ Kagome was one of her best friends. She'd help her out, if she was home from the feudal era. Tori knew all about it.

Suddenly, she she neared a highway as a car approached, skidding to a stop at spotting her. She turned to see her friends, Mai, Serenity and Tea get out and approach her. "Tori, we heard what the guys were saying. We don't know what's gotten into them! Please don't run away, we'll sort this out," pleaded Tea. Tori lowered her head.

"No, it's time I left, I'm going home, Tea. If you guys want, you can come, but if you'd rather stay with your boyfriends, I understand."

And with that, Tori turned and ran across the highway, disappearing into the trees on the other side on her way back to the city. To her great sadness, none of her friends followed. She was alone, again.

She met up with Kagome in the city as huge clouds came over the night sky, blocking out the moon. She saw that Kagome too had the pained face of one who'd just had her heart broken.

"What happened, Kagome?" asked Tori, trying to hide her own expression.

The two walked back to the shrine, sharing their stories, "So your friends didn't come with you?" Kagome asked.

"No, they went back to their guys. They've been my friends since childhood, and we met those boys a little more than a year ago. They picked the guys over me, and that's just plain weird," explained Tori. Her gaze turned from sad to fierce. She pulled her head up sharply and turned to Kagome. "Kagome, we were both played by our guys, right?" she asked.

"Right . . ." started Kagome; unsure of where this was going.

"So, I say we get stronger, and when we ever meet them again, they'll regret making us suffer!" said Tori, a seriously angry look on her face. Kagome wasn't sure if she could fight Inuyasha, not that she didn't want to, she just wasn't sure if it was possible. But, the heat of what he did got to her head.

"Right!" she said firmly, balling her hands into fists. "From this moment on, no one will ever push us around again!"

**_6 months later_**

Tori and Kagome jogged down the streets towards the high school. Kagome had told her family about what happened, and they helped her out, getting her a whole set of gym equipment, and clearing out the basement so it served as a private gym. Sota usually ran with them every day after school, around five blocks, and then going back to the Higurashi shrine. Tori lived with her second cousin a few houses down from the shrine, since her family had been murdered a couple of years ago.

It was a warm morning, since it was close to summer, so the girls had worn simple exercise outfits.

"Whew! Finally Friday!" panted Tori.

"Tell me about it! Summer Vacation, here we come!" answered Kagome. Their exams had been the week before, and today was the big End-of-the-year party, so neither of the girls needed their backpacks. Tori suddenly picked up a scent in the air, and snarled.

"What is it, Tori?" asked Kagome. Kagome knew of her powers, and if Tori smelled something she didn't like, it was definitely bad. Tori turned her head to where the scent was coming from. It reeked of demon, and demon equaled danger in both Kagome and Tori's minds. Kagome looked where she was. Across the street, four teenage boys were watching them. Tori could smell the scents, two were demons, and two were humans. She told Kagome, who nodded.

"Yeah, I'm picking up some serious spiritual energy from the two humans," said Kagome. They'd been walking while watching them from the corner of their eyes, trying not to look like they were staring. One of the humans had black slicked back hair and brown eyes, and was wearing a green suit, the other human, who was the tallest, and the stupidest-looking, had orange hair and tiny black eyes and was wearing a blue suit. One of the demons had red shoulder-length hair and emerald-green eyes, and was wearing a pink suit. The other one was incredibly short, still taller than Tori though, and he had black spiked hair with a white starburst, blood-red eyes, and was wearing a black cloak.

Tori and Kagome hurried to school before they were caught staring. When they reached it and changed into their normal clothes, they still had fifteen minutes before class started. They sat talking to Yura and Eri, and Kagome suddenly was getting a weird feeling around her neck. Her jewel shards were pulsing. Tori was sitting, drawing a horse on a note card she'd found, when her head suddenly shot up. She took two quick sniffs, and let out a low growl, just as Mr. Hiroshima came in for their class.

"Alright, class! Take your seats. Today we have some new students who are visiting to see if they wish to come here next year. Come on in!" He gestured at the door. The four boys from before walked in, and were automatically recognized by two certain girls sitting in the third row from the front.

"Oh, shit! Look who it is!" hissed Kagome, elbowing Tori.

"I'm looking, and not liking." came Tori's response.

"Alright," Mr. Hiroshima cleared his throat, "Take your seats, kids." Tori let out another soft growl as the demon in black brushed past her, giving her a glare. The redheaded demon took a seat near Kagome, giving her a small smile. Kagome looked at him strangely, and turned away.

"Done with the analysis?" asked Tori.

"Yup, the black one's a fire demon, and the redhead's a kitsune," she whispered.

Tori nodded. Until the demons made a move, they would accept their presence. Hopefully, as unlikely as it seemed, they weren't here for trouble.

The games were fun in all of the classes, and so were the parties. Kagome and Tori avoided the new kids as much as possible, which wasn't too hard, considering there were a heck of a lot of other kids in their class.

Finally, after a long but fun day, the eighth period ending bell rang, and Kagome and Tori hurried out of the room with everyone else so they wouldn't be left alone with the new kids. As they were running down the hall, Kagome's bag suddenly decided to drop, knocking her things all over the place. She dropped to the floor with Tori, and as they were picking stuff up, the hallway emptied. Tori glanced up.

"Boy, people sure were intent on starting their Summer Break," she commented, as she picked up a note that she and Kagome had passed in class recently. Tori was so busy trying to find Kagome's reading book, that she didn't notice the group behind her.

Kagome was putting her last lip-gloss stick in her bag, when a friendly voice greeted her.

"Is this yours?" Kagome's head shot up, her eyes meeting a pair of green ones. The boy was holding out her reading book to her. She recognized him as the kitsune.

"Yes, it is," she said, taking the book and standing up. Tori was already up, glaring around at the boys who'd surrounded them. Kagome glanced around, looking back to the redhead.

He pointed to her neck. "Is that your necklace?" he asked.

Kagome's hand instinctively clutched her jewel shards. "Yes, it is."

"Then you must be Kagome Higurashi," said the boy in green. He stepped forward. "I'm Yusuke Urameshi, spirit detective."

"I'm Kuwabara," said the orange-haired teen.

"I'm Kurama, and that's Hiei," said the kitsune, gesturing to the black-haired demon, who narrowed his eyes.

"Well, I see you already know my name," said Kagome. "What do you want?"

"This really isn't the place to talk..."

"You might want to. We're not going anywhere," Tori growled softly.

"Oh, a little tough girl, aren't you?" said Kuwabara, cracking his knuckles. Turning her gaze on him, Tori suddenly snarled viciously, her eyes beginning to turn yellow. "Is that a threat?" asked Kuwabara, stepping forward. This startled Tori somewhat; people usually reacted a little more fearfully to that face.

"Oh, come on, Kuwabara! Quit picking fights with everyone you see!" yelled Yusuke.

"She's the one picking the fight!" yelled Kuwabara. Tori extended her claws, smirking as she goaded him with a small beckon of the finger. "Oh, that's it!" Before anyone could stop him, Kuwabara had thrown a punch right at Tori. Moving super-fast, Tori sidestepped, and when his hand shot past, she bit it, snarling, showing off newly formed fangs before letting go. Kuwabara yelped with pain.

Kagome spun around, grabbing Tori by the arm before she could attack.

"She bit me! Did you see that?" asked Kuwabara.

"Come on, we're getting out of here now," said Kagome.

"You some kind of demon or something?" asked Yusuke. Tori gained a look of mock innocence.

"No, nothing of that sort," she responded. Kagome knew what would happen if Tori kept this up. She hurriedly pulled the jewel shards off her neck, holding them tightly as she muttered an incantation, flooding the room with bright light as she and Tori raced out the door.

After taking Sota home without incident, the girls decided it was safe enough to jog out to the city park, heading for the secluded area behind the lake. There they rested from running, sitting down against a tree. Once they were energized again, they stood up and had a friendly sparring match. Tori was winning when she picked up that all-too-familiar scent yet again. She stopped, snarling. Kagome froze.

"Is it them again?" she asked.

"Bingo." The girls turned to see the two humans, Kuwabara and Yusuke, blocking their pathway out of the area. Near the back came Kurama and Hiei. They surrounded the girls again, like in the school hallway. Tori looked and saw, with satisfaction, that Kuwabara had a bandage around his hand. "What do you want now?" she asked. Kurama stepped forward.

"We originally were sent to retrieve the Shikon jewel shards, but after speaking with our boss, Koenma, we have a new mission," he explained.

"Which would be . . .?" asked Kagome.

"We were sent to retrieve you," the fire demon spoke up, startling the girls.

"Um, yes, what Hiei said. Our boss was seemingly impressed with your abilities, and he wishes to speak with you," explained Kurama. Tori and Kagome glanced at each other.

"No, sorry, but our schedule's filled for the summer," said Kagome.

"I was afraid you'd say that," said Kurama, "I'm sorry, but we will have to force you if you don't cooperate."

"Just try it," said Tori venomously, snarling.

"Okay," said Yusuke. He headed for Kagome, who sprung lightly into the air, completing a neat flip before landing right behind him. Kuwabara was intent on getting revenge, and he raced at Tori, who once again sidestepped the attack, giving him a hard punch in the back of the head as he passed, making him fall flat on his face. Kagome was evading Yusuke with ease. Though, as she landed from an airborne kick to Yusuke's shoulder, Kurama was able to grab her around the arms. He pulled a strange flower out of his pocket, evading a backwards head butt from Kagome. He held the flower under her nose, and she inhaled.

Slowly, Kagome felt her eyelids grow heavy, and her body lost all fight as she slumped into sleep. Kurama laid her on the ground, and went to help catch Tori.

"Kagome!" cried Tori as she tried to race towards her friend, but realized she was being pursued. She snarled at Hiei as he came closer. "Get away from me!" she yelled. "Kagome!" Yusuke cornered her on one side, Kurama stood in front of Kagome, blocking her path. She stopped, suddenly feeling two arms wrap around her own. She turned around to see Hiei glaring down at her. She struggled, trying to bite him, kick him, slash at him, do anything to help get herself free.

Unfortunately, Hiei was a lot stronger than she thought, and he was able to keep a tight hold while evading all of her attacks. As she saw Kurama approach with the sleep flower, she drew out her claws and tried to slice Hiei's arms. But, that proved impossible. Tori took a deep breath before Kurama held the flower before her face, and now was just about the only time she wished her nose wasn't so sensitive. She tried to bury it in her shoulder, but the scent reached her face, and even her held breath couldn't keep the fumes away. She blacked out.

Tori the Hanyou: Yup, cliffhanger, I know, but it gets loads better! You'll find out why Koenma wants to see Tori and Kagome in the next chapter!

Cya!


	2. The Mission

Tori the Hanyou: I'm not gonna bother with my usual chit-chat, so let's go!  
  
DISCLAIMER: Check the other chapter  
  
CHAPTER SUMMARY: Kagome and Tori find themselves in Spirit World. Koenma seems to think it's best (and safest) if the girls wear 'special' collars. Apparently, a mysterious force within Tori isn't about to let that happen.  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 2: The Mission  
  
Kagome's eyes fluttered open to realize she was dangling about twenty feet off the ground in some kind of dark, windowless warehouse. Crates and boxes lined the wall. She looked down and saw some kind of cord was tied around her arms, attaching to a wheel up on the ceiling. She looked to her left and saw Tori was starting to wake up.  
  
"Ugh, what happened?" she asked, yawning. She snapped awake when she realized her position. "Holy shit! Where the hell are we?" She struggled, trying to break free.  
  
"Dunno, some kind of warehouse," replied Kagome. Tori froze when she heard feet behind the small door in the corner.  
  
"Sshhh, someone's coming!" she hissed. The door opened, and in walked a toddler, followed by the four boys. Tori growled. The toddler looked up.  
  
"Hello, up there! Sorry we had to tie you up, but according to these four, you two can be quite violent, so we're not taking any chances," he said. Tori and Kagome gaped.  
  
"You can talk?" they asked in unison.  
  
"Yes, I can talk! When you're the head of Spirit World, you have to be able to communicate, you know!" replied the toddler heatedly.  
  
"You're the head of what?" asked Tori.  
  
"Spirit World, the barrier between the Demon World and the Human World. It's where all the released spirits come before they move on to Heaven or Hell," explained the toddler.  
  
"So, you're the boss here?" asked Kagome unbelievably.  
  
"Yes, if you must know, I'm Koenma."  
  
"Boy, this place must be pretty run-down to be run by an infant," said Tori. Kagome snickered at the comment. "But seriously, what are we here for?" she asked.  
  
"Originally, Kagome was going to be the one brought here for her jewel shards and priestess powers, but seeing both of your talents, I had to investigate this further," explained Koenma.  
  
"So, what do you need our talents for?" asked Kagome snappily.  
  
"Apparently, certain demon artifacts have turned up. Just like jewel shards, they enhance the power of their possessor, along with giving them a magic object that they can use, such as a sword, or a coin that turns them invisible," explained Koenma.  
  
"Hey, when were you gonna tell us this?" asked Yusuke, apparently ticked off. Koenma turned to face him.  
  
"For your information, I thought it would be better if I told you all at the same time," he said, turning back to the girls. "Your abilities should help you detect the artifacts, and these four will assist in getting the artifacts, and making sure you two don't run off."  
  
Kagome and Tori exchanged glances.  
  
"So, are you going to help us willingly?" asked Koenma.  
  
"Wish we could, but why would we want to help people who captured us, took us to this nowhere place called Spirit World, tied us up so we're dangling at a dangerous height off the ground, and nearly bored us to death with a lecture?" asked Tori.  
  
Koenma sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that, but it'll have to be forced on you." He gestured to the doorway, and a girl with light blue hair and pink eyes came over, carrying two black circles that were a half-inch thick, and the size of basketballs. He picked one up, pushing a button on the wall, and Kagome felt herself going down. She stopped when she was about six inches off the ground. Koenma suddenly floated in the air over to her.  
  
"Holy shit! You can fly?" asked Kagome. He nodded, and placed the circle over her head and laid it on her shoulders, backing away. It shrunk until it fit Kagome's neck snugly, like a collar, and a small pink jewel appeared on the front. Koenma snapped his fingers, and the cords released Kagome, making her drop to the ground. Instinctively, she pulled her hair out of the circle, and glared up at the floating toddler, her glare soon changing to a smirk. "Letting me go was a mistake, kid," she said. She jumped up and was about to knock him into the next Millennium (no matter how cute he was), when she felt pain shoot through her body. She couldn't move. It was as if hot knives were being stabbed throughout her arms, legs, heart, head, and stomach. She fell to the floor. Kurama had been watching, and made a move towards her, but Hiei held him back.  
  
Kagome slowly sat up, feeling dizzy; her body seemed numb. Tori struggled, seeing her friend being hurt was making her mad. Kagome looked up at Koenma again.  
  
"W-what the hell is this?" she asked, touching the choker around her neck.  
  
"That is what binds you to the four people behind me, and my assistant Botan," he gestured to the blue-haired girl. "This means you can't go out of a mile-radius of at least one of them, and you can't even think of killing them. Disobeying any of these commands will result in your being electrocuted by these collars. Persistence in your bad feat will make the electrocution worse, and it will continue to hurt more until you stop." Tori's eyes widened. No way was she letting her freedom go that easily. Koenma lowered her near the floor, and was about to put it on her, when she drew her head back sharply and snarled nastily, showing her fangs.  
  
"Careful, Koenma! That girl's got a bite worse than a shark's!" yelled Kuwabara, pointing to his bandaged hand.  
  
Yusuke elbowed him. "Listen, Kuwabara, just because you got bit doesn't mean he will. He's a trained professional, let him handle this."  
  
As soon as he'd said it, though, Koenma had attempted to put the collar on again, when Tori's head shot forward, the jaws just barely clamping down on thin air. Koenma had teleported quickly over to the group with a small, "Yikes!" Tori was growling dangerously, daring him to try it again.  
  
"Okay, maybe he's not a trained professional . . ." muttered Yusuke, clapping a hand on his forehead.  
  
"I am so!" said Koenma, "this girl's just a little tougher than I first expected, will you give me a break?"  
  
"No," came the answer.  
  
"Then why don't you try it, since you're the best at everything, Yusuke?" asked Koenma. Yusuke hesitated.  
  
"You're right! I AM the best at everything! But...why don't you let Kuwabara go?" he asked.  
  
"WHAT?? I'm not going within five feet of her! She'll rip me to shreds!" yelled Kuwabara.  
  
"Plus, I asked you," commented Koenma.  
  
While they were arguing, Kagome had gotten up and walked over to Tori, trying to find some way to untie her. Kurama noticed, and calmly walked away from the bickering group, approaching her.  
  
"Excuse me, Kagome, but there's no way to untie her. Koenma's the only one who can. Come along, the others won't react nicely if they see you trying to set her free," he explained. With that, he gently took Kagome's arm to lead her away, but she stood firm.  
  
"No, way, foxie! I've gotta help my friend. I'm not going to let them put a collar on her. I'm warning you, it's BAD news if Tori's forced to wear something like that, especially if it suppresses her freedom!" Kagome said angrily.  
  
"I assure you, she's quite fine. The collar will only zap her if she disobeys what Koenma said," explained Kurama.  
  
"You don't get it! Tori has another mind inhabiting her own! It doesn't take kindly to that sort of thing at all!" cried Kagome.  
  
"Well, what sort of thing is it?" asked Kurama calmly. Kagome hesitated. She'd just met this guy, there was no way she was spilling one of her best friend's secrets without her permission.  
  
While Kagome was pondering this, and Yusuke, Kuwabara and Koenma were still locked in a heated argument, which was starting to get quite violent, Hiei grew bored. He strode up to Koenma and snatched the collar away from him, walking up to Tori. Everyone froze, except Tori, who grew angry at the very sight of the demon within five feet of her. She showed her fangs, threatening him.  
  
"Careful, Hiei!" cried Koenma.  
  
"Shut up, you measly infant. I'm apparently a lot more experienced with things like this, so I'm doing this my way!" snapped Hiei. He turned back to Tori, looking her straight in the eye. Tori stared back with undaunted fury. If this guy was going to try to intimidate her into putting that horrendous item on, he had another thing coming; that was for sure. "Listen, girl, you're tough, but I can sense you've had terrible things happen to you in the past. Frankly, I don't care what they are, but they're what causes you to act this way, am I right?" Tori froze. How could he know about such things? 'Must be a lucky guess, bad things happen to everybody,' she thought. But while she'd been thinking, Hiei had flashed quickly, and everything else seemed to happen in slow motion.  
  
Tori felt the collar tighten on her neck, and her animal instincts immediately flared up, her heart pounded from the fear of being controlled, her freedom gone. She no longer could control herself, and the ligress emerged in all of her mighty fury.  
  
Kurama sensed the ligress coming out, and looked up to see Tori gritting her teeth, of which the fangs seemed to have gotten longer, trembling as her fingernails became long, deadly, razor-sharp steel claws, her ears became pointed, like a cat's, and her eyes flashed open to reveal yellow orbs of absolute rage before she let out an immense roar like a jaguar.  
  
She thrashed, kicking out at Hiei, unnoticing of the electricity that had started zapping her. She didn't care. The ligress wanted to kill the one who'd done this, and she would, even if she killed herself in the process. She continued snapping, swiping, roaring, biting, and thrashing at Hiei, trying to break loose of the cords that bound her, and the thing that was causing her pain. Kurama instinctively dragged Kagome away, not noticing her trying to get to her friend.  
  
"No! I've gotta help her!" she protested.  
  
"It's too dangerous! She'll kill you!" argued Yusuke. Kurama dragged her back to the group, yelling out to Hiei.  
  
"Get back, Hiei!"  
  
Hiei didn't seem to hear him, as he stood, watching Tori with utmost curiosity as she began to glow with a gold light, which was emphasized by the small bolts of electricity that increased in intensity as she continued her rampage. Finally, Tori let out a scream as a huge dome of energy was released from her, snapping the cords. Hiei leapt into the rafters of the warehouse, just barely avoiding the attack.  
  
When the dust cleared, Hiei turned back and saw that Kurama was standing on the ceiling beam not ten yards away, holding onto a frantic Kagome. Koenma had Kuwabara by the shirt collar, and Botan was on her oar, floating next to him, with Yusuke hanging onto the end. They were all right, to Hiei's slight displeasure. He glanced down as the dust on the floor cleared, and there Tori lay on her side, the snapped cords still loosely draped around her.  
  
"Put me down!" cried Kagome, who'd obviously spotted her. Kurama jumped down onto a pile of crates, and from there leapt safely to the floor, letting Kagome go. She ran to Tori's side. "Tori! Say something, please!" she cried, shaking the still form. A groan answered her. "Oh, my God, she's alive!" said Kagome. Botan landed, and raced over to them.  
  
"Koenma, sir, she needs medical attention!" she called back. Koenma nodded.  
  
Kagome sat by Tori's side until Kurama came and picked her up.  
  
"We'll take her to the infirmary," he said calmly, and Kagome nodded, walking right behind him. They headed down a hallway into the elevators; the only people following were Kagome, Botan, and Koenma.  
  
Hiei sat on the remnants of a destroyed crate, puzzling. What on earth had been released from her? He'd definitely felt something inhuman, but he was unsure of exactly what it was. His first thought had been a demon possessor, but he hadn't sensed any demon spirits within the girl.  
  
Yusuke stared around at the destruction with wide eyes.  
  
"Whew, my spirit gun and Hiei's dragon are the only things that could've done this kinda damage," he said aloud. Kuwabara walked up to him.  
  
"Told ya that girl was crazy. Why we should trust her, I don't know," he said.  
  
"Why do you think Koenma's sending us with them?" snapped Yusuke, "We're supposed to keep an eye on them, remember?"  
  
"Oh, yeah . . ." came the obviously confused answer.  
  
"Moron," muttered Yusuke. He spotted Hiei on the crate and walked over to him. "What's up with you, Hiei?" he asked.  
  
"I've been thinking . . .what kind of creature inhabits that girl? It's puzzling, I know it's not a demon, or I would've sensed it," explained Hiei.  
  
"So would I," replied Yusuke.  
  
"It must be a spirit, there's no other explanation," Hiei thought aloud.  
  
"What kind of spirit?" asked Yusuke.  
  
"Animal, I think," came the reply.  
  
"I am not!" yelled Kuwabara, straightening up. He'd been bent over a busted crate, and his mouth was covered in chocolate. Hiei shook his head and stood up. He left the room quickly, leaving Yusuke to deal with Kuwabara's sudden chocolate obsession.  
  
Tori opened her eyes to see Kagome watching her with a worried expression. Remembering what happened, she glanced down at Kagome's neck, only to see the collar was still there.  
  
"Damn, so it wasn't a dream," she muttered, sitting up. She was lying on a bed that didn't have the blankets pulled down in a hospital room of some kind. "Where am I?" came the obvious question.  
  
"You're in the Spirit World hospital," said Kurama, startling her. She turned to see the kitsune standing on the other side of the bed, giving her a gentle gaze. Tori attempted to get up, but Kagome placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Tori, Kurama and Koenma think it'd be better if you rest for at least a few more hours," she said. Tori looked at her, confused.  
  
"Since when do you listen to them? I thought you didn't like them," said Tori.  
  
"I know, and normally I'd be holding a huge grudge, but I think so too. If it makes you feel better, just think of it as my best interest, all right?" asked Kagome. Tori sighed heavily.  
  
"All right, but ONLY a FEW hours, got it?" she asked, lying back down.  
  
"Got it," said Kagome, smiling, and she left the room, followed by everyone else. She headed down the hallway towards the elevators, and as she was walking, she turned to Koenma. "So, what do we do while we're waiting for Tori to feel better?" she asked.  
  
"I'm not sure, you guys can just hang around here if you want, but I have a lot of paperwork to take care of involving those demon artifacts, so I'd better get on that. See you later!" He flew off into one of the elevators. Kagome sighed, and turned to Botan and Kurama.  
  
"What do you guys want to do?" she asked. Botan and Kagome were the only ones who didn't notice the shadow slip past them down the hallway towards the infirmary. Kurama raised an eyebrow at it, but chose to leave it be.  
  
Tori had her face in her pillow, and was nearly asleep, when her ligress senses picked up the familiar scent, and her ears picked up the sounds of the door opening, closing and locking. She spun around and saw Hiei standing at the foot of her bed.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked, still slightly touchy from before. Hiei continued to gaze calmly at her, as if trying to figure something out. Tori had been in a similar situation, and immediately tore her eyes away, afraid to give away any personal thoughts to this stranger. She let out a small growl as she fixed her eyes on the blanket in front of her.  
  
Hiei walked around to the side of the bed. He liked a challenge, and loved it when people tried to keep things from him; it made getting the information out of them so much more amusing. Tori didn't like it one bit. It was too familiar of a scene, and it was bringing back memories, painful ones.  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
Tori backed away as Yugi cunningly trapped her in the room, pushing her into a corner. He placed one hand on each side of her head on the wall.  
  
"I'll ask you again, Tori, why did you run away?" Tori shut her eyes tight, afraid to look into his, knowing what would happen.  
  
"I . . .I thought you'd be mad that I didn't tell you where I was," came Tori's response, apparently frightened. Yugi gently took her face in his hand, and turned it towards his. His mind pressed into her own, willing her eyes to open. Tori fought it, but couldn't hold it for long, and as her eyes opened, she sunk into the hypnotizing amethyst orbs that greeted hers.  
  
"Tori, you should know by now that I'm not Riku. I don't care if you tell me where you are or not," Yugi whispered soothingly. "You've just gotta remember one thing . . .I love you."  
  
To her, the words were more than happiness; they were her messengers from heaven. She smiled softly and wrapped her arms around Yugi's neck, whispering,  
  
"I love you, too." And with that, Yugi pulled her into a passionate kiss, and Tori felt she was floating, thinking nothing would ever break them apart.  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
"They were lies, all of them!" she cried angrily to herself. Hiei drew back, surprised. What was wrong? Tori tucked her legs up, burying her face in her knees, breaking into racking sobs. Hiei could still distinctly hear her voice. "He lied to me! How could he lie like that?" The sobs became tears, and crying.  
  
Hiei stood back, confused. What was she crying about? 'Now I really need to see her thoughts,' he thought to himself. But he couldn't, and he hated how she was crying. He'd seen people cry for their lives before, and before he hadn't really cared, but now, something was telling him to try to calm her down, to try to get her to stop.  
  
He sat down on the bed next to her, and reluctantly put a hand on her shoulder, speaking softly,  
  
"What's the matter? Can you tell me what's wrong?" he asked. Tori's head raised, and Hiei could see her eyes were blood red from crying. She looked up at him, and down to his hand on her shoulder, which he removed quickly. She glanced back to the blanket.  
  
"No, I-I'm sorry, b-but I can't. It's t-too much to r-relive all at once," she said, still trying to calm down. Trying to avoid Hiei, she tried to stand up, brushing past him, but her energy hadn't fully recovered, and she collapsed, but before she'd hit the ground, she felt a pair of arms around her, and her fall stopped. Hiei placed her back on the bed.  
  
"You need to stay here. It's for your better health," he muttered, before leaving. 'I'll pry her thoughts out of her later,' he thought as he slipped into the elevators, unnoticed.  
  
Tori the Hanyou: Okay! Whoopee! I like getting people's opinions and thoughts, so if you push the button and review, I'll be happy, and then you'll be happy that I updated, and everyone will win! 


	3. Ten Demon Artifacts

Tori the Hanyou: Okay! Once more, I got nothing to say, so I'm just giving you guys the chapter!  
  
DISCLAIMER: Nope  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 3: Ten Demon Artifacts  
  
Tori awoke once more in the hospital room. She sat up, making sure her eyes were fully dry before attempting to stand up. Thankfully, her energy was fully recovered, and she didn't go toppling to the floor again. She slid on her shoes, all the while remembering Hiei's kind gesture of trying to calm her down. Maybe he wasn't so bad . . .  
  
Just then, Kagome and Botan came bursting in, obviously happy to see her, for they were jumping up and down extremely fast.  
  
"Oh, Tori! You're Ok! You're Ok! You're Ok! We thought you'd be in bed forever!" squealed Kagome. Tori slapped a hand on her ear to keep it from ringing.  
  
"No, I'm fine, Kagome, like I said. So will ya calm down already?" But she didn't, neither did Botan. "Okay, what're you on?" asked Tori, wondering if maybe she didn't want to know.  
  
"What are we on? We're not on anything!" squeaked Botan (Hard to imagine the great Grim Reaper on a sugar-rush, isn't it? Seeing as this is Botan we're talking about, you'll have to get over that, lol).  
  
"We found some of this GREAT chocolate in the warehouse-thingy!" said Kagome.  
  
"Yeah, Kuwabara was stuffing his face with it, and he offered us some, and now we can't stop jumping!" said Botan excitedly.  
  
Sighing, Tori got up, and walked into the warehouse, where she saw Yusuke running around after a hyperactive Kuwabara.  
  
"Quit it, you moron! I'm not babysitting you all day!" yelled Yusuke.  
  
"Nah, Nah, can't catch me!" called Kuwabara. Tori raised an eyebrow at the scene. Kurama was watching, too, apparently amused. He noticed Tori's appearance.  
  
"Oh, hello, are you feeling better?" he asked. Tori nodded, continuing to watch as Kuwabara tipped a crate down in front of Yusuke, making him trip on it.  
  
"Oh, that's it! SPIRIT GUN!" A beam of energy erupted from Yusuke's finger, which was pointed like a gun. It missed.  
  
"HAHA! You can't hit me with your gun! Now it's my turn!" Kuwabara whipped around, pointing his finger like a gun, too. Instead of an actual bullet or something, Kuwabara was making shooting noises, moving his hand like it was actually firing. "HAHA! You're dead! I win!" He ran around in circles, doing some weird victory dance. Kurama chuckled softly to himself. Kagome and Botan were screaming with laughter.  
  
"WHAHAHAHAHAHA! YUSUKE MISSED! HAHAHAHAHA!"  
  
Tori shook her head, sweat-dropping.  
  
"How did I ever get stuck with these idiots?" she mumbled to herself. Kurama looked down at her. The scene didn't amuse her. He found that quite odd.  
  
"Is something wrong?" he asked.  
  
"Why don't you look out there? I'll say something's wrong! They're acting like little kids, running around like that! Something's wrong all right, something's wrong with their heads," replied Tori, sighing. "I'm a babysitter and everything, but this is overdoing it."  
  
"Why aren't you at least amused? Are you always this serious?" asked Kurama. Tori glanced up at him.  
  
"Why do you care?" she asked snappily.  
  
Kurama chuckled again, this time at her attitude.  
  
"You're just like Hiei . . ." he started.  
  
"NO! I'm not! He's an evil person! I'm not evil!" snapped Tori.  
  
Kurama glanced at her.  
  
"I didn't mean as in evil or not, I meant your attitudes are very similar," he said. Tori closed her mouth, unable to come up with a clever comment. There was no way she was anything like him! He could care less about his friends' safety, whereas she would do anything for them. He also had this odd air about him, like he hated absolutely everything around him, and he was just plain creepy. Tori couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was more to Hiei than she was sure she'd like to know, not including the fact that he was a demon, she knew about that. But, there was also the small show of kindness he'd given her back in the hospital room. He'd been trying to get her to stop crying, but he had absolutely no idea of the kind of pain she'd been through, twice now. 'First Riku, who was a control- freak, then Yugi, who was not only creepy, but also he right-out rejected me. I can't take it anymore! I'm sick of this! I promised I'd never fall in love again, and I'm sticking to it!" The stare in her eyes hardened, and her anger arose at being played twice in a row. Kurama sensed it.  
  
'I wonder what she's thinking . . .' His thoughts were interrupted by a yell from up high.  
  
"HEY, DOWN THERE! YOU GUYS LOOK LIKE LITTLE ANTIES!!!" Tori and Kurama's heads shot up to see Kagome way up high on a teetering pile of crates. Yusuke covered his eyes in exasperation.  
  
"My God, no way in hell am I going up to get her," he said, coming over to stand next to Kurama. Kurama suddenly became alert as he watched Kagome starting to lose her balance.  
  
"WHEE! THIS IS FU-WHOAAA!" Kagome suddenly fell off the top of the pile.  
  
"Kagome!" yelled Tori. There wasn't any way she'd be able to catch her before she fell, even with her super speed. She watched in horror as Kagome plummeted to the hard cement floor.  
  
Kagome's sugar-rush instantly vanished the minute her feet lost their hold on the crates. She felt the wind rush past her as she fell, but it suddenly stopped. Instead of the hard floor, she was in a pair of arms. Her eyes snapped open, blinking, and her face turned up to look at the one that greeted it. Kurama's green eyes looked softly down at her.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked. Kagome nodded, feeling her cheeks coloring. Her face had never been this close to his before. Kurama floated down and let her go. Tori nearly fainted from relief.  
  
"Oh, my God, Kagome, give me some warning next time before you come within a millimeter of your head turning into a pancake!" Kagome giggled.  
  
"Awww, I never knew you cared," she said jokingly. Botan came running over and freaking out, too. Good thing her sugar-rush was gone, or the freaking out would have been a little overdone. Tori shook her head. Kurama smiled softly at Kagome, glad she was ok. Yusuke raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
Soon, Botan led them all into an elevator up to Koenma's office (after Kuwabara calmed down), where he was busily sorting through papers. Goblins and demons were running hither and thither with huge stacks of files and forms, and pens/pencils behind their ears.  
  
"Oh, good! You're up again!" he greeted Tori. He led them all into a meeting room, where everyone took a seat. He snapped his fingers, and a projector popped out of the floor. He rolled it over to where it would reflect on the large, blank wall. As he was busily setting it up, Hiei appeared in the doorway.  
  
"What've I missed?" he asked boredly. Tori narrowed her eyes. Ever since her and Kurama's conversation, her bitter feelings towards him had dramatically increased.  
  
"Oh, hi Hiei! You haven't missed much of anything, I don't think," greeted Koenma. There were a few clearings of the throats and heads being scratched. Hiei ignored them and sat at the farthest end of the table. "Now, the mission," continued Koenma, "It seems that there are ten demon artifacts to be found. I will show them to you."  
  
He placed a picture of a small white tiara on the projector. "This is called the Tiara of Growth. When worn and used, it can make any kind of plant grow in seconds." 'Boring,' thought Hiei. "This next one," he placed a picture of a small golden ring with a purple jewel on the screen, "is called the Blaze of Water Ring. It can be used to shoot fire or water from the jewel in the center." 'That might come in handy,' thought Yusuke.  
  
Koenma then showed them a picture of a long, gray staff with a clear stone at the top. "This is the Weather Staff, its ability is to control the weather." The next one was a boomerang with many animal drawings on it. "The Boomerang of Summoning can create any animal out of light . . ."  
  
"Like a kitten?" asked Kuwabara. Everyone sweat-dropped.  
  
"Um, yes, Kuwabara, a kitten, except you must be in light for it to work," said Koenma. Next was a soft, cream-colored ocarina. "This Ocarina of Peace instantly calms everything within hearing distance. If played enough, it'll put its audience to sleep." The next artifact was a white pendant shaped like two outstretched wings. "The Flight Pendant lets it user fly. Pretty simple."  
  
Then came a forest-green bow (as in weapon, not a hair accessory). "This is the Hyper Bow. Instead of normal arrows, it conjures up super arrows out of light. Like the Boomerang of Summoning, you must be in light for it to work." Next came a diamond-studded mirror. "The Mirror of Truth can tell if you are lying or not. Any liars that this mirror catches are cursed for eternity until they come clean with the truth." Next was a coin with an eye engraving on it. "The Eye of Invisibility turns its user invisible." The last artifact to come was a deadly looking sword with strange, purple gems on the hilt. "This is the most powerful of all of the artifacts. It's called the Demonic Blade. If its special ability is not activated, it alone is already a lethal weapon. But, when you slice someone with it while using the special ability, that person is immediately placed under mind control, and they cannot be released until either the sword is broken, or the holder of it releases them. Also, the victim is under the control of only whoever is holding the sword." Hiei perked up at its description. 'Now THAT'S something I could use,' he thought.  
  
When Koenma had gathered up all of the pictures, he then turned to the group. "Kagome, some of this news might be a little shocking. Five of these demon artifacts were detected at your house," he said curiously. Kagome pondered for a minute, but her head shot up, her color draining.  
  
"Oh, no . . ." she started.  
  
"Uh, GIRL TALK!" cried Tori, grabbing Kagome's arm and dragging her out of the room. "What're you gonna say? You can't tell them about the well!" she whispered fiercely. Kagome put her head down.  
  
"I know, but we're being forced on this. I've gotta tell them," answered Kagome.  
  
"Do you know what this means??" asked Tori. Kagome nodded.  
  
"I've gotta see . . .HIM again." She walked calmly back into the room, a worried Tori following behind her. "Listen up," said Kagome. She told them about the well behind her house, where she could travel back in time to the feudal era. She didn't mention any of her friends there, but talked about the fact that the place was overrun with demons.  
  
"Oh, well I can see now that those artifacts are most likely in demon hands now," said Koenma, shaking his head. "So much paperwork . . ."  
  
Kagome could care less about the paperwork. Going back to the feudal era would mean going back within a mile radius of the one who tried to kill her. That alone was too close.  
  
The small group, consisting of Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, Kurama, Botan, Tori and Kagome, were soon at Kagome's house, heading to her family shrine. Kagome had packed her big yellow bag like it was another normal trip. But it wasn't. Tori was patting Kagome on her shoulder; she looked like she was going to her deathbed. They stood next to the well, and Kagome stepped forward. She shakily reached her hand forward over the well doors, and gingerly pulled of the sutra sealing them shut. She jumped backwards, right into Kurama, half-expecting the doors to come flying open by the pissed-off hanyou wondering where she'd been. But it didn't come, and her awkward position against Kurama was getting strange looks from Kuwabara and Yusuke, not to mention a couple from Hiei and Botan. Tori gently pulled her away from him, noticing the slight color on his cheeks, too. Tori opened the doors and gasped. All over the inside of the doors were fist-shaped dents and deep claw marks, slashed here and there, across the entire thing. It looked like someone had tried to slash it open. Kagome's eyes widened.  
  
"Come on, girl, maybe we won't see him," said Tori. Kagome knew this wasn't at all possible, but she reluctantly let everyone hang onto her, since she had the jewel shards, and they all jumped into the well in a chain formation.  
  
The first thing Kagome expected to hear when she landed on the other side was 'his' voice, yelling the usual, "Where have you been, wench?" But it didn't come. She stood up, and looked at the vines. Kurama took her by the wrists and flew up to the top of the well. He let her go, and went to go get Tori. She politely refused, and the minute Kurama was back on top of the well, she'd skillfully scampered up the vines in a few seconds. Hiei flew out, followed by Botan on her oar with Yusuke on the end, leaving Kuwabara to climb the vines.  
  
Ten minutes later, Kurama extended a hand to Kuwabara and helped him out. The guy never was much of a climber. Kagome was glancing nervously around. Tori gave her a hug.  
  
"It's alright, I don't think he's around right now," she whispered. They headed off. Botan pulled out the detector Koenma had given them. It was sensitive to the artifacts' auras, so it would lead the way to them. Kagome seemed to jump at every small sound she heard.  
  
"What's her problem? Is it all those demons she was telling us about?" asked Yusuke. Tori was just about to retort back with a smart comment, but decided against it.  
  
"Yeah, the demons here are so terrifying, that must be what's scaring her," she said, hoping she wouldn't be caught off-guard. Kagome smiled a thank you smile at her. They soon came upon the fields of Kaede's village. Kagome sighed. They'd been able to repair the damage 'he' caused.  
  
"Why the hell would people want to live in a place so overrun with these 'terrifying' demons?" asked Yusuke.  
  
"Let's go look," said Botan. Kagome was about to object, but Tori shook her head. It'd be better if they kept a low profile. They entered the village, where people were hard at work. Kagome was looking around nervously again, fidgeting with the end of her hair. They were getting some strange looks from the villagers, mainly because of the boys' and Tori's outfits. Suddenly, Kagome heard an all-too-familiar voice,  
  
"KAGOMEEEEEEEE!!!!" She spun around to see a tiny redhead bowl into her. She gasped.  
  
"Shippo!" She scooped her 'adopted' son into her arms. The little kitsune cried into her shoulder.  
  
"We were sure you were gone this time!" he sobbed. Kagome smiled, stroking his hair. She heard two more voices not too far away.  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
"Lady Kagome!"  
  
She saw Sango and Miroku running towards her. Sango gave her a big hug, tears forming in her eyes.  
  
"We almost didn't believe Shippo when he said he smelled you! I can't believe you're back!" She squeezed her best friend tight, not wanting to let go. Miroku was looking curiously at the others, who'd stood silent during Kagome's reunion with her friends. Kagome giggled when she saw Miroku looking Tori up and down.  
  
"Don't try it, Miroku," threatened Sango. Before he could make a move, she hit him upside the head.  
  
"But I didn't do anything yet," he said.  
  
"Yet?" asked Sango angrily. Miroku shut up. Kagome introduced her friends to the rest of them. After a few strange looks at each other's clothing, Kagome told her friends why she was back.  
  
"You have to look for artifacts?" asked Sango. Kagome nodded.  
  
"We could help," offered Miroku. The rest agreed it was fine. Shippo cheered.  
  
"YAY! We'll get to travel around again, Kagome!" he jumped onto her shoulder happily. "It's been really boring around here. All Miroku does is try to grope Sango, and she just slaps him. It's gotten to where I've been keeping a record of it!" Kagome giggled at the fox's antics.  
  
Tori picked up a strange scent on the wind. It was demon, and human? She smelled more, like a dog scent sort of. After hearing Kagome's description of 'him', Tori recognized it. She snarled viciously as a figure came leaping out of the trees, landing neatly on the ground next to the group. Kagome gasped as the figure stood up, the long white hair flowing in the wind.  
  
"I-Inu-yasha . . ."  
  
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Tori the Hanyou: I think I should leave you there, *gets pegged by angry readers* ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT! Here's the rest . . .*mumbles something about evil people*  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Well, well, well, look who's back after 6 goddamn months of abandoning us," said the annoyed voice Kagome had feared in her sleep. Inuyasha saw the girl standing near the group of strangely dressed people. His comment had been meant to tick her off. He hadn't expected the reaction he was getting now.  
  
Kagome backed away, eyes growing wide with fear. It was him. Before she even had time to say anything, her instincts turned her feet around and she fled into the forest, heading for the well. Tori raced after her.  
  
Inuyasha stood, dumfounded. Kagome had run away from him. Kagome was afraid of him. He watched her retreating form into the forest, confused. What had he done? She was the one who'd just vanished like that one night. He remembered it. He'd been walking through the forest, and fell asleep in a clearing next to a tree. When he awoke the next morning, he was back in Kaede's hut with a huge lump on his head, and Kagome was gone. Since then, for the past six months, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were mad at him for some reason, and they wouldn't tell him why. He'd tried to go get Kagome from her own time, but her well had been sealed shut. He'd tried numerous times to open it, but to no avail.  
  
He suddenly shot off after Kagome, wanting to know the answer. He leapt from tree to tree, and caught the girls in the clearing, heading for the well. He shot off the tree branch, landing between Kagome and the well. Kagome froze, only yards away from him. The demonic, yellow eyes pierced into her own. She stood, frozen, until Tori jumped between them, giving Inuyasha her deadly snarl.  
  
Inuyasha looked at the girl between him and his query with annoyance.  
  
"Back off, girl, I got no time for you." He attempted to push her aside, but the fangs flashed, and Inuyasha drew back his wrist, which was now flowing freely with blood, staring at it. He looked from the girl to his hand. "Holy shit! Who the hell are you? What are you?" Kagome shook her head at Tori, who backed away, giving Inuyasha a true death glare. Kagome stood, facing Inuyasha. Inuyasha approached her at a fast walk, but before he came within two feet of her, Kagome's eyes narrowed, and she shot out, lightning fast, punching Inuyasha in the face, knocking him backwards. "What did I do?" he yelled. Kagome stood over him, ferocity in her eyes.  
  
"Oh, you don't remember, Inuyasha? You don't remember wanting to KILL ME???" She pursed her lips, fighting back the tears.  
  
"K-kill you? Kagome, I . . ."  
  
"Save it! Do you not remember, that loving night you had with Kikyo? She asked you to retrieve the rest of her soul, and what did you do? YOU FOLLOWED HER FUCKING ORDERS! YOU TRIED TO DICE ME UP, AFTER ATTACKING KAEDE'S VILLAGE, JUST TO MAKE HER HAPPY!" She fell to her knees, and she felt the tears coming on. Inuyasha still seemed confused. But he could smell the saltiness of her tears, and he immediately wanted to comfort her. He came over to her, but she slapped him across the face. "Don't you DARE come any closer!" she snapped. Inuyasha stared at her, a mixture of hurt, sadness, and confusion in his gaze. His ears drooped sadly.  
  
"I-I didn't go with Kikyo . . .did I?" he asked. Kagome stood up, marching away. "W-wait! Kagome! I don't remember any of that! Can anyone tell me what the fuck is going on??"  
  
Tori followed her, looking at Inuyasha with a glare of utter despicability.  
  
"I hope you're happy, Inuyasha, I really do . . ." She hurried off, leaving one confused hanyou to think things over.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Tori the Hanyou: Okay; now I really gotta stop here. I'm tired, my mom's hassling me, and I'm out of ideas.  
  
Cya! ~*Tori the Hanyou*~ 


	4. The Search Begins in the Feudal Era

Tori the Hanyou: Wow, already chapter 4? This is crazy. Oh, I forgot to mention, the pairings are Tori/Hiei, and Kagome/Kurama  
  
DISCLAIMER: Quit asking, no I don't  
  
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Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 4: The Search Begins in the Feudal Era  
  
Kagome came marching back to the village, tears in her eyes. 'Why is Inuyasha playing dumb? He knows better than that, that jerk! He's just lucky I didn't 'sit' him all the way to America!' thought Kagome.  
  
Tori came after her, stopping when they reached their friends. Sango came up.  
  
"Did you two talk things over?" asked Sango. Kagome looked up at her.  
  
"Yes, and I still don't plan to speak to him any more than that!" she said stiffly. Kurama looked questioningly at her. What had happened between them to give her such hard feelings towards him? He figured he'd ask her later. 'Oh, so she's available . . ,' came Yoko's voice. Kurama went inside his head. 'Why would you care if she was available or not?' he asked. 'Oh, come on, don't give me any of that shit, you find her attractive too. Remember, I'm in your head, and I know what goes on in here,' replied Yoko. Kurama felt himself blushing inwardly. 'So? I truly do not care. I would prefer to never speak about this again, but if you must persist, I would rather it be on better terms,' replied Kurama, ending the conversation.  
  
"Yo, Kurama!" came Yusuke's voice. Kurama snapped out of it just in time to see that they were leaving. "Dude, I've been saying your name for a while. We're leaving." As they were walking down a trail that exited the village, Yusuke spoke up again. "What goes on inside that head of yours?" he asked. 'You don't want to know,' thought Kurama.  
  
They were walking for a while when Botan suddenly let out a small 'eep'. "What is it?" asked Yusuke. Botan pointed to the screen.  
  
"According to this, we're getting close to the first artifact," she replied. Kuwabara peered over her shoulder.  
  
"Does it say which one?" he asked.  
  
"I'm afraid not. Apparently, all of the artifacts give off the same aura, so you can't tell the difference, really," said Botan.  
  
Kagome and Tori were walking side by side, Kagome occasionally giving a glare behind her, just in case Inuyasha was following. She didn't care how sad he'd looked; she'd toughened up over these past few months, meaning she wasn't falling for the cutesy-hanyou trick anymore. She actually felt proud of herself. Tori was also silently proud of Kagome, but a few quick sniffs vanquished her good mood. She smelt more demon, giving a low growl.  
  
Tori's growl drew attention from Botan, who immediately drew close to her shoulder, looking around nervously.  
  
"What is it? Can you feel something? Can you sense it?"  
  
"I can smell it," replied Tori in slight annoyance. Sometimes Botan got on her nerves just a teensy bit. Her ligress, too, was getting interested. This was practically her ligress's natural habitat, so she was more in tune here than she was in the city, where the smell of car exhaust and cement smothered up everything else.  
  
"Well?" asked Yusuke, "What is it?"  
  
"What do you think? A demon, smart one, why do you think my . . .um . . .I mean, I growled?" Hiei looked at her curiously. She was trying to hide something. He'd find it out soon. He smirked to himself. Getting the info out of her would be fun.  
  
"What kind of demon?" asked Kurama. Tori took another sniff.  
  
"A water demon, it's over here," Tori followed the fishy scent through the bushes. She froze. Hiei almost went past her, but she pulled him back before he could blow their cover. He glared at her. He knew what he was doing, she had no right to be telling him where he could and couldn't go. He yanked himself away annoyingly, but Tori didn't notice. She peered through the bushes at the creature standing on the banks of a beautiful lake. It had a fish face, with a human body, except for the two giant fins on its back. It was green all over, with a mermaid tail. Its feet and hands were webbed, and its entire body was covered with shimmering scales. It was holding a boomerang, standing in the sunlight. It suddenly raised the boomerang, yelling in a hoarse voice,  
  
"Killer whale!" A beam of light shot from the boomerang and dove into the water, where small bubbles formed, and suddenly, a huge, black dorsal fin appeared, spouting water. The demon smirked, and waded out into the water to climb on its back. Tori took the chance to go. She raced out of the bushes using her super-speed, and raced into the water after the demon. Hiei angrily flew over the water after her. He wasn't used to getting left in the dust. He paused to watch as Tori crept up on the demon, about to pounce, when . . .  
  
"SPIRIT GUN!"  
  
*BAM*  
  
A beam of blue light shot across the water, just missing the demon, and Tori by a nose. She fell forward to avoid the shot, and the demon spun around, seeing the boy on the shores, swiveling its fish eyes down to the girl in the water. 'Damn it, Yusuke!' thought Tori angrily. The demon let out a shriek and drew up to his full height, towering over Tori. She jumped up, ready for a fight.  
  
The demon swiped at her with the boomerang. She jumped over the shot, nailing the demon in the face with one of her high jump kicks. The demon staggered, and suddenly began spinning around, dragging its tail in the water and creating a cyclone. Tori stared up at it. 'Oh, shit,' she thought. She dove down, burying her claws in the bottom of the shallow water. She waited until the cyclone was right over her, and leapt up, cutting the demon right across its side with a huge swipe of her claws. The demon stopped. It raised the boomerang again, yelling,  
  
"Lion!"  
  
The boomerang shot out a beacon of light, which formed this time into a huge, male lion. It roared out its challenge. Tori drew back. A lion? Kurama came flying across the water to help her. He glanced back at the fire demon that was hovering lazily over the surface.  
  
"Why don't you come help, Hiei?" Kurama called out at him.  
  
"Why should I help an insolent brat who thinks she can do things better than me?" responded Hiei. Kurama shrugged. He flew next to the lion. "Tori! You get the boomerang! I'll take care of this!" he called. Tori nodded, and raced off after the demon, who was attempting a getaway on his orca (killer whale). Kurama took out his rose whip and began cracking it at the lion.  
  
Tori raced out until she reached the drop where the orca had formerly been. It was chest-deep water up to there, where it suddenly dropped off into darkness. Tori gulped. She didn't care for deep water. But she had to do this. She took a deep breath, and dove off the edge, zooming down under the depths, following the black shape ahead of her.  
  
After some time of following it, Tori realized she couldn't keep up that well, even with her good swimming abilities. She rested, thinking. She was a very talented imitator, and she'd once heard a recording of an orca distress cry. She gave it a shot, cupping her hands around her mouth, calling after the shape. It suddenly stopped, wheeling around. Tori smiled. Fake or not, these animals still had their instincts.  
  
The whale came back towards her, and she could see the demon struggling to get it to turn around. The whale nuzzled her with its snout, and she smiled. The demon wasn't too happy, though. It jumped off the whale's back, suddenly conjuring up water balls in its hands. Tori growled at it. The whale turned, too, siding with her. It threw the weapons at Tori, who dodged them, but not too easily, since she was underwater with no fins or mermaid tail. She was also beginning to lose her breath, too. The demon seemed to sense this. It suddenly gave charge, while Tori was about to head for the surface, and it head butted her in the stomach. Tori doubled over, the air being knocked out of her. She was struggling, now. She felt her body weakening from the lack of oxygen. The whale charged at the demon, who simply touched it with the boomerang, and it disappeared. Tori glared at the demon out of slowly fading eyesight.  
  
It spun around, creating another cyclone of water that reared up high. Tori felt herself get caught up in it, spinning round and round as she was thrust upwards to the surface.  
  
Hiei knew something was wrong when he realized Tori had been down there too long for human lung capacity. He flew over to the spot where he'd watched her disappear, and peered down into the dark depths, looking for some trace of the girl. Suddenly, bubbles appeared far out in the lake, which turned into a whirlpool within seconds. Hiei flew over to the water cyclone, suddenly jumping back as it shot out of the water, towering over him. It thrashed near the top, and suddenly vanished. In its place was Tori, half-drowned. She hung in the air for just a moment before plunging dangerously down to the water.  
  
"Tori!" cried Kagome, seeing her friend from the shore. She raced out to help her, but the lion Kurama was fighting suddenly went after her. Kagome froze as it pounced at her. Suddenly, Kurama was between her and the vicious cat, snapping at it, saying angrily,  
  
"Your battle's with me!" Kagome stared with wonder at Kurama as he used extreme dexterity to dodge, block, and evade the lion's attacks. She caught herself with her mouth open and snapped it shut, blushing.  
  
Hiei watched Tori plummet to the water at a dangerous speed, and he immediately shot after her, zooming down. He soon was able to get just underneath her, catching her gently in his arms before they both plunged into the water.  
  
Hiei had never liked water, not one bit. He saw the demon coming after them and flew out of the water as the demon shot out. Hiei looked back to see the creature running on the water's surface. He landed on the shore, putting Tori down, and angrily zipped right at the demon, giving it one of his super-speed flaming punches right in the stomach.  
  
The demon stood, rigid, before falling under the water in the shallow area. Hiei dove down and pried the Boomerang of Summoning from the creature's hands, and immediately watched its size reduce. The power that the boomerang gave off seemed to have made it larger as well as stronger and more powerful. He flew back to the shores, landing. Tori sat up weakly, coughing up lake water. Kagome was patting her on the back, to try to help get rid of the water in her system. Tori glanced at Hiei, who was proudly displaying the Boomerang in his hands. She glared.  
  
"Wow, Tori, it's a good thing Hiei caught you before you fell, or else the impact of your fall on the water probably would've killed you," commented Kurama. He was actually only saying it as a test, to see their reactions. He'd seen Hiei's heroic display, apparently he was the only one who had, and he wanted to find something out.  
  
Tori glanced up at Hiei again, this time with a different look on her face.  
  
"Why did you save me?" she asked. He turned away, an obviously embarrassed look on his face. He glanced back to answer her question.  
  
"Like it matters, but now you owe me," he responded. Tori looked away.  
  
"Well, we've got the first artifact, and we're all still alive, I'm sure that counts for something," said Botan. Hiei kept his eyes on Tori, who avoided his gaze. 'Hmm, interesting,' thought Kurama.  
  
A few hours later, Tori picked up a different scent. As soon as she did, Botan's detector went off. She started through the bushes, stopping when she saw a water sprite in a pond. It was wearing a white tiara on its head. Kagome came up, tapping Tori on the shoulder. Tori silently agreed to let her try to do this one without a fight. Kagome walked calmly over to the sprite. She still exercised caution, for water sprites could be tricky.  
  
"Hi," she said. The sprite jumped, turning to look at her.  
  
"Oh, hi. I didn't know humans were in the area," she said.  
  
"Well, actually, we've come to get what you have," said Kagome, pointing to the sprite's head. It looked up.  
  
"Oh, this. I thought it was pretty, so I picked it up. It looks nice, don't you agree?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, it's nice. We need it, though, I'm terribly sorry," said Kagome.  
  
"Oh, that's all right. You can have it," said the sprite. The sprite was friendly at least. Tori sighed, this one would be easy. She was about to come join them, when she picked up another scent moving quickly towards them. Suddenly, something shot through the clearing, snatching the tiara off the sprite's head. It skidded to a stop at the other side.  
  
"Hey, you meanie! Give that back!" yelled Kagome. The sprite dove underwater to avoid any fighting. It was a wolf demon, dressed in a similar fashion to Koga's tribe. That thought struck Kagome. But, before she could say anything, the demon approached her.  
  
"Hey, aren't you that wench Koga took as his mate?" asked the demon in a gruff voice. Kagome blushed.  
  
"Well, yes, he meant to be my mate, but things kind of got . . .um, HEY! Don't get me off the subject, pal! I want that tiara, now! Aren't you supposed to be a member of Koga's tribe?"  
  
The demon spat at the thought. "Me? A member of that kid's pack? Never! In case you haven't noticed, I'm a member of the Northern Wolf Tribe. We're much better strategists than the trash and filth that's called the Western Tribe." Kagome really could care less.  
  
"Give me that artifact, now! Or you're gonna regret it!" said Kagome. She jumped for it, but the demon pulled it out of her reach. He held it up high, and Tori seized the chance. She shot out of the bushes, flying over the demon, snatching the tiara out of his hands, and landing neatly on the ground next to him. The wolf turned and growled at her, but Tori matched it with a fierce fang baring of her own that made the demon withdraw. She took Kagome's arm, and led her back to the others.  
  
"Well that was fast," commented Yusuke.  
  
"Okay, we've got the Tiara of Growth, now what?" asked Tori.  
  
"I say we put this baby to the test," said Kuwabara. Tori rolled her eyes.  
  
"Fine, whatever." She tossed him the tiara. He stood, pointing it at the ground.  
  
"Grow!"  
  
Nothing happened. Yusuke began to snicker. "What's so funny, Urameshi?" yelled Kuwabara, spinning around to face the amused spirit detective.  
  
"I think you're supposed to wear it," he said, a smug grin on his face. Kuwabara looked in horror at the tiara in his hands.  
  
"No WAY! I'm not some sissy little girl!" he yelled, dropping the tiara, and it bounced softly on the grass. Tori picked it up.  
  
"Fine, then, I will, you baby," she said. Kuwabara glared.  
  
"I am NOT a baby!" No one heard him, for Tori had already put the tiara on and spread her hand towards an open area. She closed her eyes, and suddenly, the wind picked up, gently lifting her hair off her shoulders as her hand began to glow green. Beautiful flowers, such as azaleas, poinsettias, daisies, and roses sprang from the ground. Tori then turned toward a tree, and vines grew up it, their leaves growing on tiny springs as the thick vines wound around the trunk. She spun around in a circle, and within a few seconds, the area surrounding her became a breathtaking garden.  
  
Tori opened her eyes, and marveled at the tiara's handiwork. She took it off, giving it to Botan.  
  
"Yeah, we definitely need to keep this one safe," she said. Yusuke's head popped out of an azalea bush.  
  
"Why? All it does is grow flowers," he said. In answer, Tori snatched back the tiara, putting it on, and held her hand out at Yusuke. In a few seconds, Yusuke was being lifted up into the air by foot-thick vines. Tori began to ball her hand into a fist, and the vines tightened on him, choking and suffocating him. He began to gasp for air.  
  
"That's why," said Tori. With a snap of her fingers, the vines vanished, and Yusuke fell, panting. He suddenly looked up after he'd gotten his breath back.  
  
"Hey, why didn't your collar zap you? Weren't you trying to kill me?" he asked.  
  
"Why would I kill you? There really wouldn't be any point to it, unless you'd done something seriously wrong to me, like . . ." She stopped, her voice trailing off.  
  
"Like what?" asked Yusuke, annoyed.  
  
"Nothing." Tori gave the tiara to Botan, who put it in her big backpack she'd brought to carry the items in. Kagome looked at Tori worriedly as she saw shadows begin to form in her friend's eyes. Tori was revisiting more painful memories. Hiei would've seized this chance to try to find out what they were, but that would've drawn too much attention. He couldn't do it with everyone else around.  
  
Tori snapped out of it as they continued their journey. They walked all day, until night began to fall. Kagome stopped them.  
  
"Listen, you guys, it's too dangerous to continue in these woods after dark," said Kagome. "I say we break camp." Kagome's traveling around with Inuyasha for so long had rubbed off some wilderness survival tips on her. She immediately dropped her large bag, and she started pulling out some instant food packets.  
  
"Let's see what we've got, hmm, instant chicken noodle soup, instant ramen . . ." She ticked off what she'd packed in her bag. Botan knew she couldn't make those without a fire. She turned to the boys, particularly Yusuke and Kuwabara.  
  
"Oh, boys, you wouldn't mind going to get us some firewood, would you?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"Of course not, come along you three," said Kurama. Hiei stayed put.  
  
"No thanks, I'm not some vile servant," he growled, floating up into a tree. He landed on a branch overlooking a cliff that lay just through the trees.  
  
After everyone had eaten, Kagome unrolled her sleeping bag near the fire, like she always did. Botan pulled out her oar, and slept on it while it floated in the air. Kurama flew up into the same tree as Hiei, except on a different branch, which was facing camp. He watched as Yusuke and Kuwabara leaned up against some trees. Soon, Yusuke was asleep sitting up, while Kuwabara had fallen on his side, and curled up, snoring.  
  
Tori waited until everyone was, one way or another, asleep. She got up from her position against another tree, and crept out of camp to the cliff. She sighed when she was out of there; being around campfires with other people was kind of crowding to her. She sat on the soft, grassy cliff, staring out over Feudal Japan. Nothing but trees and mountains for miles, this was definitely her kind of place. The moonlight's soft glow emphasized the shadows in the forest below. The light also made her feel tired. She lay down on her side, and slowly fell asleep.  
  
Hiei had been watching her from his branch. He looked out over the view she'd been watching, and sighed to himself. This was much better than the city.  
  
Twenty minutes later, he was close to snoozing, when he suddenly heard muttering down below. His eyes snapped open, alert, but he saw what was making the noise. Down on her cliff, Tori had begun to have nightmares. Hiei checked around to make sure Kurama wasn't watching him, and flew down to Tori's side.  
  
"No, please, spare him," she sobbed. Hiei looked at her face, which was tearstained. She was crying again. Hiei once more checked back to make sure no one was watching him, and he gently placed a hand on Tori's forehead, closing his eyes. Human minds were most vulnerable when they were asleep.  
  
Hiei felt himself enter Tori's mind. All around him was darkness. Across wherever he was, Hiei suddenly spotted a door. He heard voices echoing from it. He immediately started towards it, his demon senses turned up to maximum.  
  
Suddenly, Hiei heard a mighty roar, and an enormous creature dropped to the floor with the grace of a cat. It snarled at him. Hiei had only seen creatures like this a few times before. He immediately recognized it as the thing that possessed Tori when she was angry.  
  
"Hmm, so a ligress is the cause for her animal instincts," Hiei said to himself. "Interesting." The ligress bared her enormous fangs at him. He glanced up and down at the half-lion half-tiger standing before him. She looked like a white lioness with black tiger stripes. She also looked pretty pissed. Hiei could sense that she was also worried. She was worried about the girl she shared a body with. "Listen, ligress, I'm here to help her," said Hiei. The ligress wouldn't hear any of it, though. She continued to snarl at Hiei. He saw her deadly claws flex out of the muscular paws. She was intent on protecting her friend.  
  
They both turned toward the door as a scream rang out. The ligress turned from the door to Hiei. She seemed to glare at him, but reluctantly moved to the side. She really had no other option. Tori wouldn't let her in, so maybe this boy could help. She followed Hiei to the door. Hiei opened it onto a dream scene. Tori lay on the ground, apparently exhausted from something, while a boy Hiei didn't recognize with silvery-blue hair held up another boy with some kind of powers. The boy being held had brown hair and brown eyes.  
  
"Well, Tori, you're family lies dead behind me, just one more to kill," said the silver-haired boy. "Say goodbye to your big brother!" With that, he charged up an energy ball of blue light, suddenly blasting it at the boy in the air. Hiei recognized the attack. It was an old one, from ancient times. He watched as the boy fell to the ground, dead.  
  
"Taylor!" yelled Tori, suddenly leaping to her feet and racing over to him. She sat, hunched over him, crying, while the evil boy came up behind her, laughing. She suddenly whirled around, unmatchable ferocity in her eyes. "I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS YOU BASTARD!" she screamed, diving at him, claws extended, suddenly gashing his arm open. The boy leaped back, suddenly angry, and blasting Tori. Hiei noticed the ligress come up behind him, watching sadly. She'd apparently seen this show before. Hiei couldn't help but feel sorry for Tori. She continued attacking him; this was obviously where the ligress had emerged in her rage. "DIE, RIKU!" she screamed. He finally blasted her one more time, and her body couldn't take any more, and it collapsed. Riku disappeared in a pool of black shadows, leaving a close- to-death and grievous Tori behind on the ground. Hiei finally walked up to her. He kneeled down next to her.  
  
"Is this what happened?" he asked. Tori, still slightly jumpy, suddenly grabbed Hiei's wrist in her leftover rage, and both snapped out of it.  
  
Tori awoke with Hiei kneeling over her, his hand, which she was clutching, still on her forehead. She released it, and sat up.  
  
"What the hell were you doing in my head?" she asked angrily. Hiei remained calm, simply looking her in the eyes. He now knew the source of all of her pain. But something told him there was still more.  
  
"You were talking in your sleep, that's all," he said. He got up and was about to leave when he heard her voice.  
  
"So, now you know." He turned back to her. She was looking at the ground.  
  
"I wouldn't go so far as to say that," said Hiei. Tori looked up at him. She was apparently undecided about something. She finally spoke up again.  
  
"I'll . . .I'll tell you about that little scene you saw, if you want," she said. Hiei sat back down, knowing he was in for a long story.  
  
"It's like this, I used to have a boyfriend named Riku, like you saw. He was what you'd call a control-freak. He wouldn't let me out of his sight for more than a day. So, when I went with my family on a trip for three days, he was pissed when I got back. In revenge, he killed my mom, dad, and little sister, and forced me to watch him kill my brother, the other kid you saw. Ever since then, I'd longed to kill him, and avenge my family. Eventually, I did, with the help of someone else, but the memories still haunt me," said Tori.  
  
When she'd finished, Hiei could sense brimming tears in her eyes. He knew there was still more, but he didn't want to know it all tonight. He simply stood up, and bid Tori good night. Tori looked up at him. The moonlight behind her gave Hiei a gentle glow. She smiled softly as he flew back to his perch to watch over her while she slept.  
  
Unknowing of both of them, a certain cocky spirit detective was watching through the bushes, a smirk on his face and evil ideas forming in his head.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Tori the Hanyou: Oh, man, you'd better start feeling sorry for that guy . . .well, now you know a little bit of Tori's history. For those of you who've read Trapped in the Next Dimension, my YuGiOh fic, you'll notice I took Tori's history out of there, cuz like I said in the first chapter of this fic, this is sort of a sequel to it. Anywho, once again, I'm tired, but thankfully my mom's not hassling me. Oh, well.  
  
Cya! ~*Tori the Hanyou*~ 


	5. Meeting Sesshomaru

Tori the Hanyou: Cool! Chappie 5! I know there's gonna b a bunch of other girls who like this one, considering the fact that it involves the certain older brother of a certain hanyou, if you still cant guess then you don't know Inuyasha. You ready everyone? It's . . .drum roll please . . . FLUFFY!  
  
*Girls' screams heard in background  
  
TTH: *Takes hands off of ears* Okay, now that that intro's done, let's get on with the next chapter!  
  
***********VERY IMPORTANT!!! ********  
  
I know I said that Miroku, Sango and Shippo would be coming with them, but I decided against it, since it would be too many people to keep up with, and Kagome can keep Kirara with her! I'll be mentioning Kirara a lot more now; sorry for those of you who got confused!!  
  
DISCLAIMER: No  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 5: Meeting Sesshomaru  
  
Kagome awoke to the sunlight peeking in from the trees surrounding their campsite. She looked over at her sleeping friends, and saw her bag moving. She opened it to let out the tiny cat demon inside.  
  
"Sleep well?" she asked it. Kirara chirped in answer. Kagome smiled. She looked around the campsite, and saw Botan was up, looking for something. "What's up, Botan?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, it's dreadful! My detector's gone missing! We can't locate those artifacts without it!" She checked in the bushes. "Oh, where could it be?" She suddenly turned and saw Kirara. "Oh! Is that your kitty?? Oh, it's sooo cute! Can I hold it?" she asked, completely forgetting the detector. Kagome sweat dropped.  
  
"Umm, sure."  
  
Tori had been awake for a while now, watching the sunrise. Turning her sharp ears behind her, she'd heard Botan and Kagome's conversation. She, too, knew that the detector was pretty vital to their journey. Kagome's priestess powers could detect the artifacts themselves, sure enough, but the detector had a much larger scanning range, meaning it could sense the artifacts farther away than Kagome's powers.  
  
Suddenly, she saw a black speck heading towards her. Looking closer, she saw it was Hiei. She looked back at his tree branch, which was vacant. Hiei landed on the cliff near her and headed in towards camp. Tori noticed something in his hand, Botan's missing detector. She followed him.  
  
"You know Botan's looking for that, right?" she asked.  
  
"Like I care. I've located the last three artifacts," he answered smugly. Tori glared.  
  
"That fast?" she asked suspiciously. He nodded, a triumphant look in his eyes. They went into camp, and Botan squealed.  
  
"My detector!!" She raced over and took it, turning it on. "Lets see, where are the last . . .wait, this cant be right . . .all three artifacts are in the same place. That's odd . . ."  
  
"That fast, huh?" asked Tori, turning to Hiei. He simply ignored her.  
  
Kagome went and rolled up her sleeping bag, just as Yusuke came strolling into camp. Kurama came down from his branch; Kuwabara was woken up by Yusuke making a dog from the Boomerang (use your imaginations, kids), and after everyone had eaten something, they set out to find the last three artifacts.  
  
After traveling for some time, Kagome began to notice that the forest grew very dark, and the trees seemed to close in around them. Tori was also picking up very strange scents. Kuwabara was getting the 'willies', and Yusuke, Kurama and Hiei were keeping their senses open. Botan was simply following her detector, paying no mind to the forest. Apparently, being the Grim Reaper had the effect that dark, creepy forests didn't get to her. Tori suddenly picked up one particular scent. It smelt familiar, but in a way it was altered. She followed behind Botan, who led the way into a large clearing.  
  
"Hmm, it seems we're getting close," she said, peering down at her detector screen. "Hold on! They're coming closer, really, REALLY fast!"  
  
As soon as the words left her mouth, a flash of white zipped into the clearing, skidding to a stop. Botan screamed, Kuwabara and Yusuke jumped, and Kagome hid behind Kurama. She didn't like Sesshomaru one bit. He stood tall, with his white kimono, and three familiar looking objects in his hands. One was the Weather Staff, and on the hand that held it, Sesshomaru wore the Blaze of Water Ring. In the other hand was the Ocarina of Peace. Tori snarled, suddenly stopping, as she smelt two more scents, one human, one was kind of like a toad; she couldn't quite figure it out.  
  
Sesshomaru glared at them, particularly at Kurama and Hiei.  
  
"Is there a reason why a bunch of humans, a demon, a spirit, and a half-breed are in my territory?" he asked. Tori perked up, so did Kagome. Half-breed? Kagome knew he only called Inuyasha that. But he wasn't here, was he? Kurama chuckled.  
  
"Is that what you call half-demons? Not a very nice comment, I should think," he said. Kagome looked up at him. What was he talking about? Sesshomaru noticed Kagome.  
  
"Well, if it isn't Inuyasha's wench," he smirked. Kagome hid back behind Kurama. Before anyone could blink, Sesshomaru was behind Kurama, and he had a grip on Kagome's wrist. She growled, kicking out with her foot, which Sesshomaru dodged. Kurama turned to him, getting out the rose-whip.  
  
"Release her, she's done nothing wrong to you," he said. He particularly didn't like the fact that Sesshomaru had called Kagome 'Inuyasha's wench'. He didn't think Kagome deserved to be treated like property.  
  
"I'll decided what to do here, half-breed," snapped Sesshomaru. Kagome's eyes widened. Kurama, a half-demon? Tori raised an eyebrow. Why didn't she smell it, then? Kurama smirked.  
  
"I still don't think that's very nice language, but I must insist that you release her," he said.  
  
"Or what?"  
  
"Or I'LL do something about it!" said Tori angrily, stepping forward. She was getting slightly ticked off by this demon. He acted like a total primadonna. Yusuke also stepped up, the shock of Sesshomaru's entrance gone. He held up his fingers in the gun position. Sesshomaru snickered.  
  
"Is this your army?" he asked Kurama. Kurama simply glared. "What a pathetic excuse for a fighting team, two overconfident teenagers, a harmless girl, and a mutt." Tori snarled.  
  
"We're not just confident, you snobby hermaphrodite, we can back it up, too!" She drew out her claws, and called on her ligress. They'd have to work together to take this guy on; he looked tough, especially with three demon artifacts to give him a power-boost. Yusuke pointed his gun at Sesshomaru.  
  
"SPIRIT GUN!"  
  
*BAM!  
  
The white beam of light took Sesshomaru by surprise, obviously, and knocked him off of Kagome. She quickly took out her bow and arrows from her bag, aiming one at Sesshomaru. Tori stood next to her, claws and fangs at the ready. Her tail had sprouted, to help her balance and stay on her feet. It was white with tiger stripes. It also helped her perform difficult stunts like flipping. Sesshomaru recovered from the shot, and straightened up. He extended his claws, too, and Tori could smell poison. Kuwabara went behind him to try and kick him from the back, but that proved worthless, since Sesshomaru simply grabbed him by the foot, swinging him into a tree. Botan flew up and hid in the branches to watch the fight.  
  
Yusuke tried another Spirit Gun, but this time Sesshomaru was ready, and he leaped into the air at super-speed, reappearing next to Yusuke, scratching him across the right cheek.  
  
Yusuke staggered backwards, clutching a hand across his injury, which was already starting to rot. Sesshomaru finished up the attack with an extremely hard punch in the stomach, and Yusuke fell.  
  
"What a shame, I don't even have to use these nice weapons I found to beat you," said Sesshomaru. Tori launched a vicious attack at him as he made that comment. She was able to get her claws into what was left of his left arm, and sunk her teeth into his shoulder, avoiding his armor. Sesshomaru threw the Ocarina of Peace into the bushes, and used his free hand to stab Tori's shoulder. She gritted her teeth, making her bite harder. She swung around behind him, leaving his front wide open for one of Kagome's arrows. She shot, but Sesshomaru moved, just in time. The arrow struck him right below his heart, or where it should be. 'Damn,' thought Tori. Sesshomaru ripped her off of him and threw her into the bushes. Kagome shot another arrow, barely missing as Sesshomaru shot into the air, holding up the Weather Staff.  
  
Suddenly, the sky darkened, and thunder clapped overhead. Sesshomaru pointed the staff at Tori's fallen form, and lighting flashed, heading straight towards her.  
  
Hiei knew what he was about to do, and shot over, getting Tori out of the way just as a huge lightning bolt hit the spot where she'd originally been. Tori opened her eyes to see Hiei charge the dog demon, only to get swiped at, and missed. He was soon behind Sesshomaru, and he kicked him in the back of the head. Sesshomaru swung around, pointing the Blaze of Water Ring at him. A burst of fire spewed out, just missing the fire demon. He flew back, pointing his hand at the demon, and his own demonic fire was blasted in Sesshomaru's direction. Sesshomaru tired to use the Weather Staff to protect himself, but the fire simply went around it, and singed Sesshomaru, leaving the Staff in perfect condition. Apparently, it was fireproof.  
  
Tori got up, shaking her head. She'd been thrown down, but she wasn't out. She shot at the dog demon as he attempted to attack Hiei, and went in for the close-range combat. She once more dug her claws into his other arm, reaching for the Weather Staff. Sesshomaru tried to throw her off again, but Hiei charged at him, followed by Kurama, who'd been waiting for the right time to come back in. He snapped the rose whip at Sesshomaru's good arm, digging the thorns into it. Hiei was within three meters of the demon, when Sesshomaru held up the Staff, and a lightning bolt came, striking Hiei down.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Tori the Hanyou . . . . . . . . . CLIFFHANGER!!!!! AHHHH! Sorry! I know how short this chapter was, but I really thought that would make a good cliffhanger! Don't worry; Chapter 6 is in the works! Hang on, and pray to God Hiei isn't dead! O.O *runs in frantic circles*  
  
Cya!  
  
~*Tori the Hanyou*~  
  
Click the button, and you'll be happy, cuz Ill b happy that u reviewed! Then u'll b happy that I updated, and EVERYONE WINS!!!! 


	6. Victory, or Not?

Tori the Hanyou: Okay, Chapter 6! I'm just here to say hi, and then it's on with the story, since I left you guys at a cliffy!  
  
DISCLAIMER: No  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 6: Victory, or Not?  
  
"Hiei!" yelled Tori and Kurama. Finding renewed strength from that small victory, Sesshomaru grabbed Tori by the shoulder and pried her claws out of him. He bit through Kurama's whip. Kagome, seeing her friend was in trouble, shot again, only to have Sesshomaru catch the arrow in mid-flight. Instead of melting it, he held it to Tori's throat. Snarling, Tori moved super-fast, and grabbed the arrow with her teeth, snapping it. Sesshomaru moved his hand so it held Tori's throat.  
  
He tightened it, making it harder and harder for her to breathe. Tori let her ligress out, and the ligress greeted Sesshomaru with a blast of psychic energy. She leapt at Sesshomaru's fallen form, and viciously attacked him, followed by Kurama's angry whip cracks. He held up an arm to defend himself, but the two were furious.  
  
They were about to strike the final blow, when they heard a small voice, and a little girl raced in between them and Sesshomaru.  
  
"Stop! Rin no like this! Please don't hurt Lord Sesshomaru any more!" Tori and Kurama froze, along with everyone else, at least the ones who were still conscious, or alive. She stared at the little girl, dressed in a tiny pink kimono. She couldn't be more than seven. She had dark, almost black hair and brown eyes to match. She was also crying. Tori took a deep breath and backed away, trying to keep her ligress from harming the girl in her lust for revenge.  
  
Kagome walked up to her and knelt down beside her.  
  
"Is Sesshomaru your friend?" she asked. Rin shook her head.  
  
"Lord Sesshomaru is more than Rin's friend, he like Rin's daddy." At this Kagome's eyes widened. Little kids didn't lie, so why would Sesshomaru show compassion for a human, when he himself hated them to his last breath?  
  
"What's your name again?"  
  
"Rin."  
  
"Listen, Rin, we need those objects that Sesshomaru picked up. They're not safe with him. We will leave you in peace if we can have those objects." Rin immediately hurried over to Sesshomaru, and gently took the Weather Staff out of his open hand, sliding the Blaze of Water Ring off his finger. She raced back over and gave them to Kagome.  
  
"He had one other, but Rin no know where it is."  
  
"Don't worry, I've found it!" said Botan cheerfully, coming out of the bushes with the Ocarina of Peace in her hand.  
  
Jaken came out at this very moment.  
  
"Lord Sesshomaru!" he cried. He hurriedly helped Rin drag Sesshomaru away.  
  
Kagome took the objects over to Botan for her to put in her bag. Tori got up from her position against the tree and went over to Hiei's still form.  
  
"Hiei? Hiei, say something," she said, slightly shaking him. He didn't move. Tori's shoulders slumped. What if he wasn't alive? Nobody could've survived a direct hit like that from such a huge bolt of lightning. She gently placed one hand on his, and looked at him with a pained face, closing her eyes. She felt slight tears coming on.  
  
"What are you crying about?" came an annoyed voice. Tori's head shot up, and turned. Hiei was looking at her strangely. Tori felt a wave of relief rush over her, but she shook her head at his comment.  
  
"Who said I was crying?" she snapped, standing up. She turned away as she felt the blush coming on. Hiei raised an eyebrow at her as she walked away. 'Was she . . .worried for me?' he thought.  
  
Kagome dropped to her knees from exhaustion. They'd done it; they'd actually beaten Sesshomaru without Inuyasha. Kurama came over to her.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked. Kagome nodded. Kurama turned to Hiei, to find him sitting propped up on his elbow, watching Tori storm away through the bushes. He heard Kagome speak.  
  
"Are you really a half-demon?" He turned to face her.  
  
"Well, yes, in some way, I am," he answered, "but it's a really long story, and we've all just been through quite a difficult battle." He looked back where Tori went. "I do hope someone's going after her. She needs those wounds treated, and so do the rest of us."  
  
As soon as he'd said it, Hiei got to his feet and walked through the bushes where he'd seen Tori go. "Well, that settles that little problem."  
  
Botan was already at Yusuke's side, using her powers to extract Sesshomaru's poison from his blood. Kuwabara soon sat up in a daze.  
  
"What'd I miss?" he asked stupidly.  
  
"Try everything," said Yusuke, wincing as he sat up. He looked around. "Where's Hiei?"  
  
Tori felt the pain of her shoulder beginning to increase as she headed through the bushes. She stopped in a tiny clearing, realizing she was being followed. She spun around, coming face to face with Hiei, and nearly falling over from surprise. Hiei waited for her to recover from her scare, and spoke first.  
  
"You really should get those wounds healed," he said calmly. "Botan can get the poison out of your system." Tori didn't speak to him. She simply turned and continued walking, her nose in the air. Hiei rolled his eyes, and, super-fast, he appeared in front of Tori, blocking her way.  
  
"Excuse me," said Tori smartly. Hiei continued to give her a calm stare. Glaring, Tori tried to push through him, but trying to do that was like trying to push through a brick wall. He held out an arm, stopping her. Tori gave him a tiny growl. "Don't make me hurt you," she said. Hiei smirked.  
  
"You have no idea who you're messing with, do you?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, actually, I do, a stuck-up demon who could care less about anyone other than himself, and would much rather die before lending a helping hand," said Tori. Hiei continued to smirk.  
  
"If I'm so selfish, then why am I helping you now?" he asked. Tori raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I wouldn't exactly call this helping, it's more like hindering," she said. She tried to push past again, but winced when she put weight on her shoulder. She grabbed it, gritting her teeth. It actually hurt a lot more than she'd thought. But she wasn't about to go along with this stupid act Hiei was putting on.  
  
Suddenly, she felt arms around her, and before she knew it, they were right outside where they'd fought Sesshomaru. She pushed away from Hiei angrily as she felt the blood rushing to her cheeks. "Hey! I'll come back when I damn well want to!" she cried. In answer, Hiei gave a small sigh of exasperation, and grabbed her wrist, dragging her into the clearing, ignoring her yells of protest.  
  
Kagome blinked as she saw her friend being pulled behind Hiei. He stopped, throwing her down against a tree.  
  
"Do something about her, Botan," he said, flying up into the branches above Tori. She glared at him with the utmost hatred. To think he'd have the audacity! She let Botan get the poison out of her shoulder before beginning her own trek back to their campsite they'd stayed at the night before. Kagome packed up her bow and arrows, and turned to the others.  
  
"Tori's right, in one way or another, we should start heading back if we want to reach our old campsite by the time night falls."  
  
As they were walking (In Hiei's case, flying) Kurama asked Kagome a few questions of his own.  
  
"So Kagome, how is it that you've become so skilled at archery?"  
  
"When you travel through here, you gotta have some type of defense, you know," came Kagome's answer.  
  
"And, what about that cat in your bag? Is it yours?"  
  
"No, Kirara belongs to my friend Sango, whom you met back in the village, you know, the one with the giant boomerang?"  
  
"Ah, yes, the violent one," said Kurama jokingly. Kagome giggled. He was right; Sango did tend to go over the line when it came to reprimanding Miroku. They both fell silent. Yusuke was watching them while walking behind, and an evil idea formed in his head. He suddenly strolled past them, giving Kagome a VERY good push, knocking her right into Kurama.  
  
Kagome felt her face turn bright red, and she glanced up at Kurama, who'd instinctively caught her. He straightened her up, his face tinged with blush, too. He gave a stern glance at Yusuke, who walked on ahead, whistling You Are My Sunshine, a song Keiko used to sing to his body while he was dead (I know, it's not in the show, but I'm adding it in!). He sometimes heard her humming it when she was near him, and it gave him a warm feeling inside. It was kind of like their soul-binding song.  
  
Kurama sensed the feeling of remembrance inside Yusuke, and left him alone. He saw Kagome's face etched with worry as she looked ahead into the forest. Where was Tori?  
  
"Something wrong?" he asked. Kagome glanced up at him.  
  
"You think Tori remembers where camp is?" she asked. Kurama smiled.  
  
"I'm sure she's fine," he said. "But, there are a few things I'd like to know about her," he said.  
  
"Like what?" snapped Hiei defensively from behind them, making them both jump. Kurama looked at Hiei with surprise. "What are you staring at?" asked the fire demon as he floated after them as they walked.  
  
"Nothing, Hiei, but why are you suddenly flaring up like this? I thought you didn't care about her," he said in an almost singsong voice. Hiei glared,  
  
"Who said I cared about her? I just thought I could probably answer your questions myself," he said.  
  
"Ooo, and how would that be?" asked Yusuke, who'd been listening. Now Kagome looked at Hiei strangely.  
  
"Yeah, what do you think you could answer that I couldn't?" she asked. Hiei suddenly flew up into the sky again to hide his blush.  
  
"Oh, yeah, he's hidin' something," said Yusuke.  
  
"Anyways, I was going to ask why Tori acts so defensive all the time. Did something happen to her?" he asked. Kagome looked down.  
  
"It's a really long story," she said.  
  
"We're not going anywhere," said Yusuke, falling into step beside Kurama.  
  
"Okay, then, if you insist," said Kagome. She related the story of Riku, the murder of Tori's family, and the forced witness of her brother's death.  
  
By the time she was done, everyone was listening, except Hiei, who'd already heard the story.  
  
"Oh, the poor girl!" cried Botan. Kagome nodded, a small tear rolling down her cheek. Kurama put a comforting arm around Kagome's shoulders, ignoring the sniggers from Kuwabara and Yusuke. Kagome didn't even blush, she was glad for some small comfort. She didn't know what she'd do without her mom, grandpa, or Sota.  
  
They reached camp before long, and Tori was out on her cliff again. Everyone left her alone, save for Hiei, who immediately flew to his perch to watch over her. The version of the story Tori told him hadn't been everything; after hearing Kagome's version, he understood her past a little better.  
  
Tori stared out over the moonlit scene, the same one she'd seen the night before. She looked up at the moon, where the image of Taylor, her brother, shone. She looked down at her wrist, where a small gold bracelet with a book-shaped locket on it hung. She gently opened the tiny book with her fingernails to the minute picture of Taylor giving her a noogie, and they were both laughing. She looked over to the other side, where a tiny engraving was,  
  
Victoria,  
  
May we never be far from each other's side. Happy Birthday, and I hope that noogie I gave you didn't knock out TOO many brain cells!  
  
From, Your Bigger (And Better, Always!) Brother,  
  
Taylor  
  
Tears sprang to her eyes as Tori closed the locket. It sounded just like him. Even though she'd avenged his death, she still couldn't get over it. She could still hear his voice yelling,  
  
"Help me, Victoria!" as he was killed. She shut her eyes tight to block out the memory, but it came even clearer. Tears spilled down her cheeks as her fist trembled. She hated Riku, even though he was dead. In her mind, the ligress crept into her mind chamber to try to comfort her, though she couldn't hear much of anything. Her mind was flooded with those awful pictures.  
  
All of a sudden, she felt tired, pressured by some kind of power that was overwhelming her. She couldn't figure out what kind of power, it was some haze that filled her head, blocking out the memories. She felt dizziness inside her head, and smoke clouded her inner vision, making her sleepy. Her eyelids drooped, and she lay down on the grass, asleep in a few minutes.  
  
From his position in the tree, Hiei withdrew his outstretched hand. Knowing that Tori would be all right, he too fell into silent slumber.  
  
Kagome sat beside the fire, staring into the flames. The whole time they'd been traveling, she thought she'd felt something (or someone) following them. Kurama watched her worried face. It wasn't right for such a pretty girl to be worried this much. He sat down beside her; thankfully Kuwabara and Yusuke were asleep.  
  
"Kurama?" asked Kagome, breaking the silence.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Have you felt something, like we're being watched?"  
  
"Actually, I've been feeling something similar to that since we left that village," said Kurama. Kagome shuddered.  
  
"You don't think it's true, do you?"  
  
"I hate to say this, but when you're getting what you call a 'gut feeling' like what you described, it's usually true." He looked around. "Actually, the one who's watching us is right in those bushes over there," he whispered urgently, gesturing slightly to his left. Kagome quickly glanced at the spot. She thought she saw white, but she wasn't sure.  
  
"Is it Sesshomaru?"  
  
"Use your priestess powers and sense the aura," responded Kurama. His caring and gentle gaze made Kagome feel safe, and she followed his instruction. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She felt the aura, demon, and human for sure. It was a familiar aura, only too familiar. Kagome snapped her eyes open when she realized who it was. Kurama sensed her fear. "What is it?"  
  
"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered. Kurama remembered him as the demon Kagome spoke angrily about. He was the one who she hated for some reason. He stood up.  
  
"I'll be right back." He walked out in another direction. Kagome's eyes widened. Why was he leaving? She trembled as she looked nervously around, glancing every once in a while in the direction Kurama referred to. Suddenly, in a flash of white, Kagome felt herself being picked up bridal style, and soon she was flying through the trees. She couldn't scream; the wind took her breath away. She shut her eyes tight until she and her carrier had stopped moving.  
  
When Kagome opened her eyes, they were in another clearing. When she turned to look, she nearly screamed, but a clawed hand covered her mouth. She was staring into Inuyasha's golden eyes. She only had one memory of these, the ones that were full of death, and she trembled again. She saw Inuyasha's hand come toward her face, and she at first winced, but she remembered. This was what she'd been trained for. She suddenly whacked out with her hand, slapping Inuyasha's away. She opened her eyes to glare, undaunted, into his.  
  
"Kagome," he spoke suddenly, with words of gentleness that were totally not like him. This made her pay attention. "I . . .I can't explain or remember why you're so mad at me. What did I do to you?" he asked, with eyes of such innocence, hurt and confusion that Kagome forgot her anger, and began to believe him.  
  
"You attacked me, Inuyasha. I saw you. You were with Kikyo, and . . ."  
  
"Hold it!" he whispered sharply, "I was with Kikyo?"  
  
"Y-yeah, don't you remember?"  
  
"I don't remember anything, but you saw me with her? That damn BITCH!" he said angrily to himself. Kagome looked at him strangely. Now it was her turn to be confused. "Kagome, you probably don't know this, but Kikyo could hypnotize people to do her bidding." Kagome gasped.  
  
"Wha-you're telling me she . . .MADE you attack me?"  
  
"Yeah, I don't know how, but . . .Kagome, I would never hurt you! It's never crossed my mind to kill you, not even when we met!" Kagome gulped. So she'd been wrong this entire time. Inuyasha had never hated her, or wanted her dead. But, there was one thing holding her back from just flinging herself into his arms and crying how she'd missed him. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. She gently pushed herself away from him. "What is it?" he asked. With a pained face, Kagome put a hand to the collar on her neck.  
  
"It's just that . . ." she began. Inuyasha looked curiously at her collar.  
  
"What's that?" he demanded, pointing a clawed finger at the strange thing. Kagome sighed; she knew he wasn't going to like this.  
  
"I've . . .been bound," she gasped out, putting her head down. Inuyasha's eyes widened.  
  
"What? You don't mean bound as in . . .mating, do you?" Kagome's eyes widened, and her head shot up at his absurd thought.  
  
"No, no! Not that at all! I'm just bound as in, like a dog with a leash," she explained. Inuyasha cocked his head. He'd only heard Kagome talk about this 'leash' thing once before, when she'd been angry with him, she'd threatened to get him one and put him on it. What disturbed him was that when he'd asked her what it was, she said it was something that kept the dog from running free . . .he didn't like the sound of it.  
  
"But, I don't see anything that would be a 'leash'," said Inuyasha. If someone was trying to suppress Kagome's freedom, he wanted to know about it.  
  
"This collar, it electrocutes me when I go out of a mile range of the people I'm bound to," she said.  
  
At that moment, she heard something in the bushes. Inuyasha glared dangerously. Kurama stepped out of the bushes, looking at the two curiously.  
  
"Have you resolved your differences?" he asked, as if nothing was wrong. Inuyasha stepped protectively in front of Kagome. He could smell the fox's scent, and it reeked of demon. Kagome gave him a reassuring pat.  
  
"Yeah, Kurama, we're on fine terms now," she said. Kurama raised an eyebrow as he saw Inuyasha.  
  
"Just how fine?" he asked, out of Youko's curiosity.  
  
"Why do you care, fox?" snarled Inuyasha. Youko's interest was piqued. Over the time Kurama and Kagome had been together, he'd been really bonding with the girl, and found himself quite attached to her, in ways Kurama hadn't expected, such as romantically. If he'd have to fight with this dog for Kurama's possession of the girl, he'd damn well do it.  
  
Kagome blushed as she saw the competitive look coming from Kurama. Suddenly, something hit her. That was what prevented her from completely loving Inuyasha again. It was Kurama! Somehow, without noticing it, she'd begun to like him more and more each day, until it had slightly gone over the line where she thought of him as just a friend. She realized she'd started to get feelings for him. She blushed at the thought as she realized that his competitiveness must've been caused by the fact that he had feelings for her, too.  
  
Kagome stepped out from behind Inuyasha, and stood in between them, facing him. "What're you doing, Kagome? Get out of the way!" said Inuyasha.  
  
"No, Inuyasha. I won't." Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her. Why did she always have to make these things difficult? She ALWAYS had to argue back whenever he disagreed with her.  
  
"Why not?" he snapped. Kagome was getting angry. Now he was starting to get slightly freaky, and too demanding for her taste. Kurama wasn't like that at all; he listened to her, comforted her, and was all-out gentle and patient with her. He was the better match for her personality. She also knew he was hiding a few secrets she wanted found out.  
  
"Because, I'm . . .not yours anymore."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Tori the Hanyou: Well, how'd you like that? It was half Hiei/Tori, half Kagome/Kurama. I'm rather proud of it. Now, that's what I call assertiveness on Kagome's part, and Hiei didn't die, YIPPEE! Kurama and Youko are sure gonna have a long talk about this whole loving Kagome thing . . .oh, boy, I don't wanna stick around for that . . .wait! I gotta write it! YIKES! Oh, well! See you guys next chapter!  
  
~*Tori the Hanyou*~ 


	7. I've Made My Choice

Tori the Hanyou: Okay, I noticed a lot of you said you hate cliffies, and that I put too many, but think about it, if I didn't, the story wouldn't b that exciting, and you guys wouldn't b anxious about the next chappie! Oh, well, I'll try to cut back on the extremities of the cliffies, but I still think I need them to add some rising action and climax to the story. Anywho, since I left y'all at what you call a cliffie, let's just get on with the damn thing, lol!  
  
DISCLAIMER: No  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 7: I've Made My Choice  
  
"What the hell are you talking about, wench? What do you mean you're not mine anymore??" asked the pissed-off hanyou.  
  
"You heard me," said Kagome in a final voice. "Inuyasha, I just don't think we were meant for each other. I'm sorry, but this is the end of us."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes glared.  
  
"I'm sorry, Kagome, but I've already fallen for you, and I can't just let you leave like that," he said sternly, walking up to her. In an instant, Kagome's bow and arrows were out and aimed at him.  
  
"Make one more move, mister, and you'll never get to see again!" she said angrily. Inuyasha froze. Kagome had NEVER purposely turned an arrow on him before! He turned his furious gaze at the kitsune behind her, who was giving him a knowing look. That had to be the one who'd stolen Kagome from him!  
  
He shot past Kagome and flew at Kurama, claws extended. But, the instant he performed his Iron Reaper Soul Stealer, Kurama wasn't there, and about ten trees, standing behind where he'd been, fell. Inuyasha suddenly felt pain around his ankle, sharp spikes digging into it, and he was thrown to the ground. He spun around furiously to see Kurama with his rose whip out. The whip cracked, releasing him, and came in for another assault. Inuyasha leaped into the air, and pulled out Tetsusaiga. He slammed the sword into the earth using the Wind Scar, yet once again Kurama was behind him. Instead of the whip, though, he held out his hand, and a ring of roses appeared around him. Their stems were super-sharp spikes. He turned them so that the spikes were pointed right at Inuyasha, and launched them.  
  
Inuyasha managed to dodge most of the attacks, except for three. One buried itself in his shoulder, one in his waist, and one in his leg. It hurt extra because of the thorns adding on to the pain of the stem-spikes. Inuyasha gritted his fangs, trying to keep from yelling out. He swiped at Kurama with Tetsusaiga again, but this time, managed a small hit on the kitsune before he escaped. Kurama felt one of the yellow beams hit his left arm, and when he landed, the cut was deep, and blood had begun to seep out. In revenge, Yoko decided to try taking over.  
  
He shot at Inuyasha, changing the direction he was coming from numerous times, before getting close enough to launch a series of fast, powerful kicks in his face and stomach. Inuyasha doubled over, one hand on his face, another clutching his stomach, as Kurama leapt away to avoid a surprise attack. Inuyasha was about to rise again, when he felt the nausea of his stomach. Something was wrong. He finally saw, after many attempts to rise, that he'd been defeated. He lost the girl he'd vowed to protect. The very idea made him even sicker. He finally threw up, and collapsed on his back, the image of Kagome growing smaller and smaller as he sank into darkness.  
  
Kurama watched him. Yoko was eager to finish him off, but Kurama decided he'd had enough. He turned to Kagome, who'd been watching the fight with wide eyes. She immediately rushed over and began fussing over his arm, but Kurama silenced her with a finger on her lips. Kagome blinked, and looked up at him. He was giving her his soft gaze, the one that made her heart melt. Yoko gave Kurama a mental push, and Kurama bent down, pressing his lips on Kagome's.  
  
Kagome's eyes widened with surprise, but she soon yielded to him, leaning back into the kiss. Kurama put his hands around her waist, and Kagome relaxed. When they broke apart, Kurama smiled at her. Kagome smiled back, taking his hand, and they walked back to camp together.  
  
The first thing that greeted Kagome when she got back was Kirara peeking out of her bag with a questioning look. Kagome giggled, taking the tiny demon in her hands. While Kurama went to check on the others, Kagome told Kirara everything that happened. The kitten chirped, happy that Kagome had decided.  
  
"Yeah, and you'll get to go back to Sango when we get back to the village," said Kagome. Kirara nodded, and jumped back into the bag to go to sleep. Kagome looked up as Kurama came back.  
  
"Everyone's asleep," he said. Kagome nodded. She looked at his arm.  
  
"Here, let me help you with that," she said. Kurama nodded, and sat down beside her, allowing her to clean the wound with antiseptic wipes and wrap a thick, clean bandage around it. Kurama relished in her smooth touch, feeling her soft hands gently caress his arm. When she was finished, and had tied the bandage up snugly, she felt Kurama's gaze on her. Unable to help herself, she turned to greet his eyes, blushing as he came in for another kiss. He put one hand around the back of her neck, holding her face to his. When he let go, she climbed into her sleeping bag, while he sat behind her, to watch her while she slept.  
  
~The next morning . . .~  
  
Tori awoke early with a groggy feeling, the kind you get after you've been in a really deep sleep for over six hours. She rubbed her eyes and stood up, nearly losing her balance. Her instincts and body weren't fully awake yet, either, which was really weird. She was usually a very light sleeper, waking at the slightest suspicious sound. She looked out over the scene one last time before turning away to go have breakfast.  
  
When she came in, she was bombarded by Kagome's eagerness to tell her what happened the night before. Tori didn't even get a chance to answer before Kagome had dragged her through the bushes to talk to her.  
  
By the time Kagome was finished with her story, Tori's eyes were nearly popping out of her head.  
  
"He kissed you?" she asked. Kagome nodded happily. Tori's look went to the ground. "Kagome, I thought we made a vow," she said quietly.  
  
The happy look on Kagome's face faded.  
  
"Oh, I forgot about that . . .but Tori, he's so nice, and gentle, and . . .he's definitely the better match for me than Inuyasha!" she explained. Tori didn't look up.  
  
"Yeah, whatever," she said.  
  
"Aren't you happy for me?" she asked.  
  
"Well, I dunno, Kagome, I'm a little . . .um . . .surprised," answered Tori. Kagome's shoulders slumped.  
  
"I know I'm not following our vow, Tori, but I really think this one'll work for me!" she said brightly.  
  
"Yeah, ok. I approve," she said. Kagome's eyes went sparkly.  
  
"Oh, I'm glad you see it my way! Now, what're we gonna do about you . . ."  
  
"WHAT THE FUCK???????????" screamed Tori, interrupting her. Kagome looked at her.  
  
"What? I think you need someone, Tori!"  
  
"NO! Nuh-uh! Not no way, not no how am I going with another guy!" she said adamantly.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"That's what my old friends said last time about Yugi! They thought he'd change me! Well, they were right! He made me worse!" she said angrily. Kagome gave her a sad gaze, looking to the ground.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't know," she said quietly. Tori realized she'd hurt her feelings.  
  
"Listen, Kagome, I'm sorry, but I'm not going with anyone else. I've had two bad experiences, and that's enough for me," she said. Kagome looked up.  
  
"Fine, I wont bother you about it anymore," she said quietly.  
  
"Thank you," answered Tori. They went back to camp, where Tori finally got her breakfast, and they headed out, walking back to the village.  
  
They traveled all day, and whenever Kagome said she was tired, Kurama would gladly let her rest. Tori smiled. From what Kagome had told her, Inuyasha never let her take a break when they'd been looking for jewel shards. She gradually began to accept Kagome's bonding with him. He did take better care of her than Inuyasha. Of course, all that she'd heard was Kagome's complaining about him, she'd never seen it herself.  
  
They passed the lake where they had picked up the Boomerang of Summoning. Tori stopped to look out on its glassy surface, and saw that the sun was beginning to set. She called a stop, pointing to the sun. Everyone agreed to make camp on the lakeshore for the night.  
  
As Botan sent the boys out for firewood again, Kagome readied the food. Tori kept glancing behind her at Botan's bag, where the artifacts were kept. She looked up at Botan, who was finishing watching the boys leave.  
  
"Hey, Botan?" asked Tori.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Can I get out two of those artifacts to check out what they can do? It might help Koenma's research on them," she said. Botan smiled and nodded. Tori crept over to the bag. How Botan had managed to cram the Ocarina of Peace, Boomerang of Summoning, Tiara of Growth, Weather Staff, and Blaze of Water Ring all in there was far beyond her.  
  
She dug until she'd found the Boomerang and Ocarina somewhere near the bottom. She took them out to the water's edge. She held up the boomerang and said, "Trumpeter Swan." Instantly, the Boomerang shot a beam of light into the water, and an enormous white swan emerged, rippling the glassy surface of the lake's calm waters. It stretched its long neck, flapping its white, graceful feathers before calmly swimming around in circles near the campsite.  
  
Kagome cooed at it.  
  
"It's sooo pretty," she said. Tori remembered her experience with the created killer whale, and recalled that the animals still had their natural instincts, except for the one about being afraid of humans. Apparently, the orca hadn't minded her at all, so she'd come up with that conclusion. That made the swan safe. Normally, trumpeter swans would try to attack humans with their wings. Getting hit by a single one of those wings that created a six-foot wingspan could knock a human unconscious or break their leg.  
  
Kagome dug into her pack, and came out with a loaf of bread. She opened it, tearing a slice into little pieces before throwing them onto the water. The swan came over, gracefully dipping its neck into the water to gently scoop up the crumbs. It looked at the two girls peacefully with its small, black eyes. Tori then took a piece of bread in her hand, reaching out to the swan with it. The swan took the bread from her without biting her in the hand.  
  
Botan came over and admired the swan before they heard the yelling, signaling the return of the boys.  
  
"I'm telling you, Urameshi! I saw a giant monkey!" yelled Kuwabara's voice.  
  
"Yeah, right, and Osama Bin Laden's a saint, Kuwabara, there's no such thing as giant monkeys!" yelled Yusuke's voice as they came into view.  
  
"Don't make me hurt you two," threatened Hiei.  
  
"Oh, look, Mr. Military's gonna kill us, Urameshi!" called Kuwabara in a tantalizing voice.  
  
"Shut up, idiot," snapped Yusuke.  
  
"I must insist that you two stop arguing," said Kurama. They came, dropping the wood near the fireplace, where Kagome soon had a merry little fire going, all the while ignoring the violent fight that was ensuing. Kuwabara and Yusuke had decided to go at it with their fists. Kurama eventually sent Hiei in to break them up, which he did with a mere threat that he'd give them short term memory loss if they didn't can it.  
  
Reluctantly, the two ceased, to the relief of everyone. Tori, meanwhile, was experimenting farther down the shore with the Boomerang. She created one of her favorite animals, a gray wolf. It sat down and gave a long, sad howl that echoed through the trees. Tori felt her spine shiver, though she liked it.  
  
"What was that?" asked Kuwabara. He looked around fearfully.  
  
"What did it sound like, you fool? It's a wolf, for crying out loud!" snapped Hiei.  
  
"Yeah, well I hate wolves," said Kuwabara.  
  
"Get over it," said Yusuke. "We're in the forest, chances are we were likely to hear one sooner or later."  
  
"Besides, I think it sounds pretty," piped in Kagome.  
  
"Yes, I do too," agreed Kurama.  
  
"Also, there's no need to be scared, Kuwabara, it's just Tori with the Boomerang. She's experimenting with it," explained Botan.  
  
"Even so, why'd she have to make a wolf, of all things?" asked Kuwabara.  
  
"Cause they're one of her favorite animals," said Kagome. "She also likes horses, orcas, lions, swans, falcons . . ."  
  
"Are there a lot?" asked Yusuke, annoyed.  
  
" . . .and dragons," finished Kagome. Soon, Tori came walking back to camp, the wolf trotting beside her. Kuwabara jumped when he heard it bark.  
  
"Hey, you guys, what's up?" asked Tori. She sat down next to Kagome to eat dinner. Kuwabara watched the wolf, which in turn stared back at him.  
  
"How's that thing gonna eat?" he asked gingerly.  
  
"Actually, I don't think animals created with the Boomerang need to eat," answered Tori. To prove it, she held some of her noodles in front of the wolf's nose. It didn't even sniff them.  
  
"Wolves don't like pasta, how's that prove anything?" asked Kuwabara. Tori glared at him.  
  
"They'll eat just about anything edible," she snapped. To further prove it, she took a piece of chicken and held it in front of the wolf; still no response. "See? It didn't even sniff meat. These guys are created for protection or companionship, I think," she said. That seemed to convince Kuwabara enough, though he still gave it edgy looks. "From what I saw from that demon, if you touch the animals with the Boomerang, they disappear," explained Tori. She lightly tapped the wolf with the Boomerang, and it vanished.  
  
After dinner, Tori leaned up against a big rock near the water's edge with the Ocarina of Peace. She was trying to block out the sound of Kuwabara and Yusuke's continuous bickering. 'Time to see if this thing works,' she thought. She'd played the ocarina for a long time; she had one at home that she was very good with.  
  
She leaned back against the rock, shutting out the sounds around her, and began playing. It was a beautiful, yet mysterious tune that echoed across the lake waters. (If you've ever seen Pokemon the Movie 2000, it's the song from there. I know, many think Pokemon's stupid, but I like that song!)  
  
Everyone perked up when they heard the tune. Yusuke and Kuwabara shut up, and suddenly, everyone felt calm. Tori continued playing. Hiei listened carefully for where the tune was coming from, and tracked it to the large rock. He peered over it, and, seeing it was only Tori, he sat down on the other side of the rock. While the calmness had only begun to affect him, everyone else was already nodding off.  
  
He watched as Kagome laid down on her sleeping bag, Botan, Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama were on the ground. The melody of the song hung in the air as it drifted about the lakeshore, encircling the group. Soon, though, the song ended, and Hiei snapped out of his trance before he fell asleep. He heard Tori sigh.  
  
He looked around the rock at her. She was watching the water, apparently deep in thought. The half-moon glistened across the water, where Tori's swan floated sleepily on the surface. He came up and sat on top of the rock silently, so as not to attract her attention.  
  
Tori saw images of Yugi across the water, some of them in his calm state, but, eventually, they began to turn into where he'd been angry with her. She narrowed her eyes at these. Then, Hiei's came up, to Tori's shock, and he blocked out the images of Yugi. 'Why am I thinking of Hiei?' she thought, raising an eyebrow. 'It's not like I like him or anything . . .'  
  
'Yes, you do,' came another voice in her head. Tori withdrew into her mind, closing her eyes on the outside. She stood in her mind chamber, looking for the source of the voice, but the only other one in the chamber was the ligress. She looked curiously at the big cat as she watched her with a knowing gaze.  
  
'Was that you?' she asked.  
  
'Yeah, you didn't know I could talk?'  
  
'Well, ya never exactly mentioned it before, and it would've been helpful in certain situations if you had.'  
  
'Don't care, now, you know you like Hiei,' responded Ligress. Tori was still slightly baffled at her ligress's sudden revealing secret, but she had to protest.  
  
'No, I don't.'  
  
'*sigh* Don't make this hard, I live here, I know what goes on here, I'm telling you, you do!'  
  
'So, how would you know that?'  
  
'Aha! So you admit it!'  
  
'DAMNIT! *grits teeth* I do not, you oversized furball!'  
  
'That's a pretty elementary insult for an eighth grader, don't you think?'  
  
'Grr, I don't care! Just leave me alone! I liked you better when you couldn't talk!'  
  
'Uh, newsflash, I've BEEN able to talk, you just haven't known it until now.'  
  
'Shut up.'  
  
'Make me.'  
  
'Forget you . . .' Tori emerged from her own mind, opening her eyes in a flustered manner. She was too frustrated to noticed Hiei behind her, until he spoke, startling her.  
  
"Do you plan to sit like that all night?" he asked. Tori jumped about three feet in the air and spun around, glaring at him.  
  
"How about I ask a question? Do you always sneak up behind people and scare them like that?" she asked. He looked as though he was thinking.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Anyways, where did you learn that song you were playing?" asked Hiei, sliding down off the rock right next to her. Tori blinked at him, scooting away. Apparently, the guy had personal space issues. She was finally far enough away to where she was comfortable, and answered him,  
  
"I really don't think that's any of your business," she said.  
  
"Fine, then. It was just a thought, I actually liked it," he said, standing up. Tori continued to glare at him as he went back to the others.  
  
'Why are you so mean to him?' asked the ligress. Tori didn't answer. Instead, she slid down until she was lying on the ground. She rolled over and went to sleep, unaware of the demon that had crept behind the rock and fallen asleep against it to keep an eye on her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Tori the Hanyou: Okay, are you guys happy? No cliffies this chappie! But, the next chapter will keep you guys on your toes, I'm sure. From now on, I'll only be stating the title of the next chapter, to keep you guys interested, but first, I'd like to reply to some reviews I received:  
  
Chocho- Congrats! You're my first flamer! I just got one thing to say, in relation to 'If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all', its 'if you don't like the fic, DON'T READ IT!'  
  
Hittokiri-ningen-pyro-koormie: Just to let you know, I'm not doing votes anymore! The final post was on ch 4!  
  
Blazingsunstar: have u noticed u always say the same thing? Lol! Not that its bad, I just thot it looked funny!  
  
American Cowgurl: I'm glad u like! Yeah, next chapters already started! I hope ur hot coco doesn't make u do anything strange!  
  
Suki no Kazu: OHHH! You have PUPPIES?????? I LOVE doggies! *ahem* sorry, I'm a dog/cat person, forgive me! And Kirara's still there, she just stays in Kag's backpack most of the time.  
  
DemonLady1: I will!  
  
eddie4: What is it w/ u and cliffies? And I don't put cliffies on EVERY chapter, in case u didn't reed the top, I put them in to make it interesting! Sorry if I seem mad, I'm not, its just I wanted to know why u comment on them so much, most likely cuz u hate em, I understand!  
  
Ginny Brenn: Yeah, but just in case some bozos don't know what disclaimer means, I gotta restate it, lol!  
  
InuBabe666: I'm sry, but Kag's with Kurama in this fic! But plz keep reading, evn tho the pairings aren't what u like!  
  
EternalStarlight: thank you! I'm glad u like!  
  
Choas Babe: lol! Yeah, they're stuck w/ the demons! Poor Inu . . .but don't worry! I WONT stick him with Kikyo! I HATE that! He'll just be single the rest of his life! It'll probably help in his battles; he won't have to worry about Kag!  
  
Now, for the next chapter title: Chapter 8: Return to Battle City 


	8. Return to Battle City

Tori the Hanyou: Chapter 8! Woohoo! I want to thank all of you for the awesome reviews; thankfully there weren't any flames this time! *knocks on wood* any who, if y'all read the AN on the end of the last chappie, you might've noticed the chapter title preview up there. Yeah, I'm gonna start doing that, to keep you interested! So, let's get on with it!  
  
DISCLAIMER: No  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 8: Return to Battle City  
  
"Kagome! You're back!" yelled Shippo as the group walked into Kaede's village the next morning. Kagome let Kirara out, and she ran to her mistress.  
  
"That certainly didn't take long at all," said Miroku. "You were only gone about three days, I think."  
  
"Well, one of our quarries gathered three of the artifacts in one place for us, so it really wasn't that hard," replied Kagome.  
  
"Unless you count the battle with that girly-looking demon. Boy, she was strong," commented Yusuke.  
  
"We didn't fight a girl demon," said Kagome, turning to him. Miroku, Sango and Shippo knew exactly whom he was talking about.  
  
"No! You . . .you defeated Sesshomaru???" squeaked Sango, "Without Inuyasha???"  
  
Kagome nodded. She then pulled Sango off to the side and told her about what happened between her, Inuyasha and Kurama. Sango gasped when she was finished. "So, you're now with that guy over there?" she pointed to Kurama, who was talking with Miroku.  
  
"Yeah, in one way or another, I'm with him," said Kagome.  
  
"Well, you're lucky. He's pretty cute," giggled Sango.  
  
"Yeah, well hands off, he's mine!" joked Kagome. The two friends giggled and went back to the group. Kagome bid her friends goodbye, telling them she'd be back as soon as she was done with the mission.  
  
When they were back in Spirit World, Botan led the others to Koenma's office. She walked up and placed her bag on his desk, unpacking the five items.  
  
"Good work, everyone!" said Koenma, jumping off his desk and walking up to them. He pressed a button on a remote, and a map appeared on the wall.  
  
"Now, I know it's a little sudden, but we've already traced the other five artifacts. They're located in the city of Domino. Recent study shows that they are currently holding some kind of strange tournament there . . ."  
  
"Not another tournament!" cried Yusuke. Koenma glared at him.  
  
"It's not a fighting tournament, Yusuke! No, wait . . .actually it is, except it's not a physical-fighting tournament. Its something called dueling; the name is Duel Monsters. They use cards for it, and stuff like that . . ."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know the rules," said Tori. Koenma looked at her with a bit of surprise.  
  
"Good, because we needed someone to go undercover as a participant in the tournament," he said. Tori perked up.  
  
"Me? Why me?"  
  
"Well, I was going to send Yusuke, but since you apparently know more about the subject than he does, I guess its only fair you play the duelist," responded Koenma. Tori rolled her eyes.  
  
"Fine, whatever," she said.  
  
"Anyone else want to be a duelist?" asked Koenma. *Crickets* "Okay, fine! Tori, you're on your own here. Are you any good at dueling?"  
  
"Yeah, somewhat," came the reply. 'Somewhat? Yugi Moto, the Duel Monsters champion, was my sort-of boyfriend for about a year! He taught me a bunch of stuff, and here I go claiming, SOMEWHAT! Jeez, his modesty must've rubbed off on me, too . . .'  
  
"Anyway, Domino is located not too far from here. Part of the city's been closed off just for the tournament, so I will have you guys transported to an alleyway in the dueling area. Have fun! Oh, and Botan, bring those items with you. God knows they may be of some help!" And with that, he floated off into the next room to sign some paperwork.  
  
The humans were allowed to go home and pack for the trip to Domino. Kagome raced home and packed a different backpack, and so did Tori. Unfortunately, Tori had to go to Kagome's house and help her limit what she was taking, the poor girl just couldn't decide.  
  
Botan took them to the portal room, where a goblin was operating the machine to transport them to their destination. Botan told him the coordinates of the alleyway they'd be heading to, and the portal was soon created. Botan jumped in first. Yusuke followed, then Kagome, Tori, Hiei, Kurama, and finally Kuwabara.  
  
Tori immediately felt the familiar city scents hit her like a truck when she fell out of the portal onto the hard cement ground. She sighed as she stood up. Back to Nightmare Land she went. She led the way through the city, having been there before. Kagome and Botan went all sparkly-eyed at all the shops, and it took a harsh bit of Tori's attitude to remind them of their mission. Kagome knew Tori wasn't at all happy about coming back here, but they had to, for the mission.  
  
As they were walking down a 'shortcut', as Tori claimed it to be (it was supposed to lead them to the sign-up office), she suddenly jumped at a familiar scent.  
  
"Hey, aren't you that girl Yugi Moto always hangs out with?" came a gruff voice. Tori spun around, glaring as a boy with purple hair topped by a red hat stepped out of the shadows.  
  
"Oh, I remember you. Rex Raptor, was it?" she asked. He nodded. "Yeah, I hung out with Yugi for a while, so what?"  
  
"No reason, except I've been asked to send for you," he said. Tori cocked her head.  
  
"And why in hell would you want me?"  
  
"That's not important right now. I intend to carry out this 'order', you might call it," he responded. He strode towards her.  
  
"I really don't think she wants to go," snapped Hiei, stepping in front of her. Rex raised an eyebrow.  
  
"And I really don't think she has much of a choice in the matter," he said.  
  
"You humans really do bore me," responded Hiei.  
  
"What, are you not human, or something?" asked Rex.  
  
"Actually, I'm . . ."  
  
"Yes! Yes, he is," said Tori quickly, coming out from behind him. She gave him a look to shut up, but all she received in return was a glare. They couldn't have Hiei blabbing that he was a demon. They weren't exactly common in the city.  
  
Rex gave the two of them a questioning look. He went towards Tori again, only to be stopped by Hiei holding up his hand, muttering something, and soon Rex was flat on his back, knocked out. "Why'd you do that??" asked Tori shockingly.  
  
"Relax, he'll only think of it as a dream when he wakes up," responded Hiei. Tori explained why he and Kurama couldn't go around saying they were demons. They understood, but Hiei was slightly miffed.  
  
"Okay, if anyone asks, Hiei's eyes are contact lenses," said Tori. Everyone nodded.  
  
Yusuke and Kuwabara adopted their tough-city-guy swaggers as they walked down the street towards the sign-in office. Tori prayed that they'd quit it. If Joey and Tristan caught those two doing that, not only would she be caught, she and they would also be in major trouble.  
  
They made it to the office without much difficulty, and there wasn't anyone in the office. She reached into her backpack, pulling out a deck of cards. She walked up to the desk, where a man with strange-looking hair and glasses stood.  
  
"Good afternoon, what are your names?" he asked, in a slightly hoarse voice. Tori gave him a shifty look.  
  
"Um, I'm the only one dueling," she said. The guy turned his face towards her, but Tori could sense something strange, like he wasn't looking directly at her.  
  
"Okay, then, what is your name, miss?"  
  
"Tori Jackson." (NO relation to the child-molester!)  
  
"Hmm, ah, yes, you have . . .quite a high dueling level. Four out of five stars! Mr. Kaiba must have seen something special in you!" Tori's eyes widened.  
  
"Mr. . . .Kaiba?" she asked.  
  
"Why yes, he's the one who started this tournament!" claimed the guy. "Didn't you know?"  
  
"No." If she had known, she wouldn't have agreed to the tournament in the first place. She HATED Kaiba!  
  
"Ah, well, now you do. Here is your state-of-the-art Duel Disk and a handbook of all of the new rules. Try your best, and good luck!" As they left the shop, Tori turned and saw the guy staring intently at the screen, and back at her. She looked at her deck, remembering when Joey and Yugi had signed up. They also displayed the person's rarest card on the screen, along with the dueling level and a picture. She wondered what would've made the guy so intent on staring at the screen, unless he was looking at her card . . .  
  
"Come on, Tori!" cried Kagome, snapping her out of her thoughts with a tug out the door. They joined the group, and continued walking down the street. Hiei noticed Tori staring at her deck.  
  
"What's so special about these cards anyway?" he asked, snatching the deck lightning-fast from Tori.  
  
"Hey! Give those back!" she said angrily, grabbing for them and missing as Hiei sped behind Kagome and started looking through them.  
  
"Nice pictures . . .oh, what's this one? Hmm, Red Eyes Black Dragon! Interesting . . .," said Hiei, pulling out the single card to look at it. Tori glared, snatching the deck back from him and her Red Eyes.  
  
"My deck is none of your business!" she snapped, placing Red Eyes carefully back in the stack of cards in her hands. Hiei gave her a smart look.  
  
"Whatever . . ."  
  
They continued down the street, watching as other duelists went at each other's throats with their cards. Yusuke marveled at the grossness of some of their appearances. Apparently, the monsters on the cards were projected on holograms to look life-sized. Over in one corner, a Dark Zebra and Mystic Horseman were going at it, the Dark Zebra to be the victor, thanks to its higher attack point advantage. In another one, a Hitotsu-Me Giant and Giant Germ were facing off, though both were going to die; yet the Giant Germ would be resurrected, thanks to its Special Ability. Tori noticed Yusuke and Kuwabara were still going with their swaggers, so she tried not to look like she knew them. Soon, they'd reached the center fountain, where Tori had come with Yugi to wait for the start of the tournament. The clock read 8:30 in the morning.  
  
"So, what're we supposed to do?" asked Yusuke boredly. If there wasn't going to be any fighting, he really didn't see why he was here.  
  
"Well, the only reason I'm participating is so we can access the duelist area to search for the artifacts," said Tori. "Also, we get rooms in the hotel especially booked for duelists."  
  
"Wow, this guy must be rich," commented Kuwabara as he examined the duel disk.  
  
"Yeah, he is. He owns KaibaCorp, a gaming company. They build new technology just for this game," explained Tori.  
  
"The guy must be obsessed," said Yusuke. They continued walking, where they got out of the dueling area, and more into the 'display area', as Tori put it in quite an annoyed manner. This was where all of the more powerful and famous duelists gathered to be 'admired'. "So where's this Kaiba jerk? Wouldn't he be here if he's as big a snob as you claim?" asked Yusuke.  
  
"Normally, he would be, but he likes to make a grand entrance, which he'll probably do right before the tournament's over," explained Tori.  
  
They walked through the area, where in one corner, Tori noticed a familiar face, Espa Roba. He was the 'psychic' duelist that Joey creamed. Over in another area was Mako Tsunami, showing off his muscles to a few beach girls. Tori never thought Mako was like that, he was usually proud, and reserved. And in yet another area stood Weevil Underwood, surrounded by cronies, along with Rex Raptor, who'd apparently recovered from Hiei's attack, but, in the farthest corner from them all, there stood a group of black-robed people. The hoods of their cloaks all bore the same mark, a golden eye symbol, like the one on Yugi's Millennium Puzzle.  
  
Kagome noticed them, too, and just the look of them sent her a weird signal. She couldn't figure out what the message was that she was getting. All she knew was that she should steer clear of them. She pulled on Tori's sleeve to get her attention, and pointed out the group. Tori looked, and her eyes widened. She immediately looked away from them.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Kagome.  
  
"Nothing, Kagome. Just do me a favor. Stay away from those guys. Do not talk to them, do not do anything to them, don't even come within twenty feet of them, got it?" she said sternly. Kagome nodded, though she still wanted to know why they were so bad.  
  
They continued on until they'd reached the hotel where they'd be staying. Tori got them signed in and two rooms, one for the boys, one for the girls.  
  
"Hey, Tori, while we're in the city and everything, why don't we go around and have a little 'girl fun'?" asked Kagome hopefully after they'd unpacked. Botan piped in.  
  
"Oh, yes! That would be splendid to see how human girls have fun!" said Botan. "I would love to go!" Tori sighed in exasperation.  
  
"Fine, I'll go, Kagome," she responded. The other two squealed in anticipation. Kagome rushed next door to tell the boys what they'd be doing, and came running back happily.  
  
"Okay, let's get ready!" She ran into the closet to change, and came out wearing a short-sleeved magenta shirt that said "It's All About Me." Botan changed into black hip-hugging pants, and a red shirt with a black leather jacket over it (It's the outfit from the Saint Beasts Episodes). Tori changed into bell-bottom jeans, and a light blue long-sleeved shirt with draping sleeves. It read "Angel, Most of the Time."  
  
They headed out into the hallway, where the boys were going to the vending machines. Yusuke took notice of them.  
  
"Just where ARE you guys going?" he asked curiously, stepping in front of the elevator. Kagome rolled her eyes.  
  
"You know, out and around," she responded lightly.  
  
"Like where out and around?" asked Hiei, stepping behind them. He found himself actually admiring Tori in those clothes.  
  
"Like, it's none of your business out and around," replied Tori, who caught his eye for a second before he looked away. The girls pushed past Yusuke into the elevator.  
  
"See you guys!" chirped Botan as the doors closed.  
  
"Hiei?" asked Yusuke smartly. Hiei rolled his eyes.  
  
"I'm on it." He flew out of the hotel hallway window and followed the girls, having nothing better to do. He hovered in midair as they came out of the hotel and headed down the street. Tori was wearing her duel disk on her left arm, just in case.  
  
Kagome jumped into every clothing store she saw, dragging the others with her. Tori was surprised she hadn't been decapitated or gotten whiplash from all of the times Kagome had grabbed her shirt collar. Botan seemed to be enjoying herself, echoing Kagome at each new delight they discovered with a squeal. Tori wanted to go to the electronics stores, but she knew they'd never let her go.  
  
Finally, after going into every single clothing store in that part of Domino, the girls decided to go to a club to rest their feet. It was called Domino Lights. It wasn't extremely big, but it was moderate-sized. It was pretty full of people, though. Apparently, it was somewhat popular. Tori noticed a flier on the door,  
  
"FreeStyle Karaoke! Costumes Provided! All Night Long! Any Song, Any Rap, You Name It, We've Got That!" Tori nudged Botan and Kagome and pointed to it. Their eyes widened with curiosity. Kagome gave a small squeak.  
  
"I've got just the song!" she said excitedly. Tori was amazed. The girl still had loads of energy to spare.  
  
"You two go have fun, I'll sit in the audience and watch," said Botan. She took her and Kagome's bags and went to sit down at one of the front tables. Apparently, that flier was why there were so many people tonight. Someone was on stage singing, "Man, I feel Like a Woman" by Madonna. She wasn't doing half-bad.  
  
Hiei watched the girls go into the club and zoomed back to the hotel, where two of the other boys were waiting outside.  
  
"They're in some kind of club called Domino Lights right now," he reported in a surly manner. He hated being a messenger boy, but he was the fastest flyer between him and Kurama. "Where's the oaf?" he asked.  
  
"Kuwabara said he was tired and he's going to bed," answered Yusuke.  
  
"Figures, that lazy idiot."  
  
"So, do you propose we follow them?" asked Kurama.  
  
"Yeah, sure, we got nothing better to do," said Yusuke. They headed down the street towards the club.  
  
Kagome dragged Tori backstage and told the manager what they wanted to do. She nodded and wrote it down on a clipboard.  
  
"Dressing rooms are back there," she said, pointing down a long hallway. Kagome nodded and made Tori follow her to one of the rooms.  
  
"I can't BELIEVE we're doing that!!!" snapped Tori as Kagome shut the door.  
  
"Oh, come on, it's funny!" responded Kagome. "You'll like it!"  
  
"I didn't say I didn't like it, but I still can't believe it," said Tori, shaking her head. "You come up with the weirdest ideas, Kagome."  
  
"Duh! Now get dressed!" she answered, throwing Tori a bunch of gangster clothes from the trunk in the corner.  
  
When the boys reached the club, they quietly walked in and took a table at the back of the room. Yusuke watched as one guy sang a love song to his girlfriend.  
  
"Disgusting, why would they come here?" he asked. Kurama shrugged. Hiei glanced around, noticing three suspicious figures leaning against the wall close to the stage. He didn't draw attention to the matter, though, he wanted to watch them and see what they'd do. Kurama noticed the flier.  
  
"Take a look at that," he said, pointing to it.  
  
"Maybe that explains why we don't see them," muttered Hiei. Suddenly, a voice blared out.  
  
"Now for our next act, a parody of the song Sk8ter Boi by Avril Lavigne, called Poser Girl! Let's give 'em a hand, folks!"  
  
(WARNING: ALL AVRIL LAVINGE FANS WILL NOT LIKE THIS NEXT PART!!! I SUGGEST YOU SCROLL DOWN TO AVOID THIS!!!)  
  
The curtains opened, and standing there, back to back, dressed in gangster clothes, was Kagome and Tori. Both had their hair down with backwards baseball caps on their heads. They were wearing EXTREMELY baggy jackets over white t-shirts and cargo pants, slumping with their backs against each other, arms folded, and heads down. As the intro music ended, Kagome jumped forward with the first verse:  
  
"She was a boy, and also a girl, can we make it any more obvious?"  
  
Tori came up next to her.  
  
"She was a punk, thought she had it all, well girl you thought wrong."  
  
Kagome sang out.  
  
"She wanted fame, she wanted cash, but all her ideas were junky trash."  
  
Tori followed up.  
  
"All of her friends, left her all alone, they had a problem with her awful tone."  
  
Both girls spun around and did high jump kicks, singing together.  
  
"She was a Poser Girl, she made all the punkers hurl, she never thought they were good enough. She made up awful songs, but now they're kid sing- alongs, 'cause everyone thought she was too roooouuuugh!"  
  
The girls performed a series of well-rounded moves as the music continued.  
  
"They call this fun?" asked Hiei as he watched the girls' antics. Yusuke was sniggering.  
  
"You gotta admit, this is FUNNY!"  
  
Kurama chuckled, putting a hand over his mouth.  
  
"Yusuke's right, Hiei. Besides, they're doing a good job, I think. The audience really seems to like them." He was right. People were laughing at the lyrics. The music swung into the next verse, Tori starting it out:  
  
"Five years from now, she'll be at home, wondering why she is all alone."  
  
"She'll WATCH all her kicks, and ALL of the picks, and everything THAT she had EVER known."  
  
"While there on TV, she will then see, all of the SINGers she COULdn't be."  
  
"She'll look at her face, all filled with disgrace, and mirrors break in her spayee-aaace!  
  
"She was a Poser Girl, she made all the punkers hurl, she never thought they were good or true. Now she's a never-was, sitting on gath'rin dust, does any of that give her a clue? She was a Poser Girl, she made all the punkers hurl, she never thought they were good or true. Now she's a never- was, sitting on gath'rin dust, does any of that give her a cluuuue?"  
  
The girls continued their dancing, performing numerous hip-hop moves as the crowd roared with laughter. People were coming in the doors to see what was going on.  
  
"Sorry, girl but you MISSED out. Well tough luck, you're ovER now! You don't have any MORE friends, this is how your story ends. Too bad that you couldN'T see, the mistake that you WOULD be, there is more than meets THE eye, but you don't have the It inside."  
  
"I'm just a girl, and she is one too, can we make it any more obvious?"  
  
"We aren't the best, but better than her, 'cause we rock the whole wide woryeeooorld!"  
  
"We are the Starry Sky, we said we would never cry, though that is really what she said too. We'll BE on the lit-up stage, singing a singing rage, 'bout how your career went DOWN the drain! Yeah, We are the Starry Sky, we said we would never cry, though that is really what she said too. We'll BE on the lit-up stage, singing a singing rage, 'bout how your career went DOWN the draayeeain!"  
  
(NOTE: I don't hate Avril, I thought up that idea during Hell-on-Earth (codename: school) and I thought it would be good to add on this little 'girl's night out'.)  
  
The crowd cheered and laughed. Hiei smiled to himself. She was good. Yusuke was positively cracking up with the crowd, pounding his fist on the table. Botan was rolling on the floor. Kurama was even giving it a good laugh.  
  
Kagome and Tori came out from backstage a few minutes later, dressed in their own clothes. Botan came rushing up to greet them.  
  
"That was a SPLENDID performance, you had the crowd positively splitting their sides!" she said excitedly.  
  
"Where on EARTH did you come up with those words?" asked Yusuke as they walked up.  
  
"Tori," replied Kagome (O.~ / hey, I DID come up with those on my own! Just now, for ur 411! Lol!)  
  
"Can we go now?" asked Hiei. Everyone nodded. It was very late when they set out for the hotel. Yusuke walked on ahead, eager to go to bed. Kurama and Kagome walked behind him, hand-in-hand, and Tori found herself walking next to Hiei. She noticed he kept glancing over at her, like he wanted to say something, but then he'd look back at the ground.  
  
"Um, nice job in there," he finally said.  
  
"Thank you," came the response. They went silent for a minute. Tori now turned her gaze to the stars, seen through the tall skyscrapers. Suddenly, she picked up three sets of footsteps behind her. "Hiei?" she whispered.  
  
"I hear them," he said. Tori turned up to look at his face. (Remember, he's 5'9'' in this story, people!) He was staring straight ahead, pretending not to notice the footfalls behind him.  
  
Tori decided to go along with it, too. She stared ahead, watching as Kurama and Kagome grew smaller as she and Hiei began to slow down. Suddenly, one of the footsteps quickened, and soon Tori was staring at a familiar-looking shadow. She drew out her claws, ready. Hiei glared around as another came up on their right, surrounding them against the building on their left. The moon came out of the clouds, and Tori finally saw their faces clearly.  
  
"N-no, it can't be . . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Tori the Hanyou: Done! *gets glared at by cliff-haters* I'm sorry, but I'm tired! I've been writing all night and its like 2:30 in the morning! Also, I wanna get another chapter up! Now, I know you guys don't like this, but I'll start Ch 9 now! I promise! 


	9. Things Get Confusing

Tori the Hanyou: Nothing to say, LETS GO!!!  
  
DISCLAIMER: No  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 9: Things Get Confusing . . .  
  
Standing there, in the moonlight, Tori saw the three only-too- familiar faces.  
  
"Joey . . .Tristan, and . . ." She turned to look behind her. Standing with one of his smirks was Yugi. She gasped, backing away, realizing she was backing into Joey, whom she spun around to look at. Hiei stood calmly, merely giving the three boys his famous icy stare. He noticed Tori seemed to be afraid of them.  
  
"Now what?" he asked.  
  
"It's . . .them . . .the ones I ran away from . . ." He saw her face. She seemed sad, and afraid. He turned to the boys.  
  
"What do you want?" he asked sternly. They all pointed, synchronized, at Tori.  
  
"Her," they all said together. Tori thought this was weird. Why were they acting like this?  
  
"Hiei," she whispered. He glanced at her. "This can't be them. There's something wrong . . ."  
  
"So you finally noticed," he responded with a smirk. "They're robots. Whoever's programming them is hiding in safety somewhere. Most likely, he's got the real boys held prisoner."  
  
As if to complete his statement, he shot at the boys with his super speed. Tori barely blinked and all three of them were on the ground. Hiei drew out his sword, slicing off one of the heads. Many cables and wires poked out where he'd cut them. He reached into the throat under the speaker serving as a voice box, and pulled out something square, about the size of a quarter. "I'll use this to track them," he said.  
  
"Why?" asked Tori.  
  
"That's not important," he said. "You want to find the real ones, don't you?" he asked. Tori hesitated.  
  
"Umm, I'm not sure if I do or not," she answered.  
  
"Those robots were obviously the ones who did whatever to you. I'm sure the real ones would've never . . ." He trailed off.  
  
"What? What's wrong?" asked Tori.  
  
"Let's go," he said, starting to walk away. Tori stood firm.  
  
"What is it?" she asked.  
  
"I don't have to answer you," he snapped.  
  
"Fine, then. I'll stay here."  
  
"Fine." Hiei was about to take off, when something stopped him. Muggers, robbers, drunken alcoholics and thugs were usually out at this time. Growling to himself, he turned to Tori.  
  
"Now what?" she asked. Hiei rolled his eyes, feeling the blush coming on. He suddenly flew forward, super fast, and picked Tori up bridal style, flying away. "Hey! Put me down!" she snapped, blushing. Hiei smirked slightly when they were up above the buildings in a few seconds, and made a dropping motion, letting his arms fall a few inches, making her drop with them.  
  
Tori's heart skipped a beat, and she grabbed his shoulder sleeve tightly, burying her face in it, thinking he was serious. When she realized he hadn't dropped her, she turned to his face, and he was giving her one of his knowing smirks. Blushing wildly, she looked away, down at the ground, brightly lit by the lampposts. She noticed a group of thugs fighting. She felt Hiei's arms tighten around her as he noticed them, too, making her blush darker. They soon reached the hotel, landing on the roof so as not to attract attention. Tori quickly pushed away from Hiei as he let her down.  
  
They looked to see that Kurama and Kagome had just walked into the front door of the hotel, Kagome's head on Kurama's shoulder, and Kurama's hand around her waist. "So, how're we getting down?" asked Tori. Hiei jabbed his thumb behind him at a door on the rooftop built into a small building, obviously the staircase. Tori looked at it, and back at the ground, the wind slightly blowing back her hair.  
  
Hiei watched her face for a while. 'Damnit, why do I feel this way?' he thought to himself, 'I could've just left her on the streets to walk back, why do I care if she gets attacked by alcoholics? It'd be her fault, in the first place. She should be able to take care of herself by now, that weak human!' But suddenly, a picture of Tori surrounded by gangsters hit his mind, and he felt...worried, like he felt the need to protect her in a situation like that. He tried the shake the feeling off, but it kept haunting him.  
  
Tori looked at his face, which was deep in thought. 'Is he all right?' she thought. "Um, Hiei?" He snapped awake, turning to her. "Why'd you bring me back? I thought you said you were gonna leave me out there." His eyes went back to the ground.  
  
"Like I said before, it's not important, so leave it be, unless you want me to go drop you in the ocean," he threatened.  
  
"I'd like to see you try," snapped Tori.  
  
"Maybe I will, then," he responded.  
  
"Do it, I dare you," she said coolly. That did it. Hiei shot forward and picked her up, but instead of flying to the ocean, he dropped her on top of the small building on the roof, sitting down next to her.  
  
"Now shut up, or I'll make you," he snapped.  
  
Tori sighed.  
  
"Again with the threats..."  
  
"I said be quiet!" he snarled.  
  
"I don't have to be!"  
  
"Yes, you do!"  
  
"You're not the boss of me!" At this, Hiei's demon blood blazed slightly. He turned sharply, putting his face an inch away from hers with a glare so fierce it made even Tori shut up.  
  
"Don't forget who controls the collar around here," he whispered dangerously, and Tori's heart began to beat faster as she felt his fingers on her neck, where the collar was. His demonic red eyes stared powerfully into hers, and she trembled slightly.  
  
Suddenly, the danger left his eyes as Hiei regained control of himself, realizing his position, and drew away from her quickly, jumping down to the roof and heading in the door.  
  
Tori sat there, dazed. 'Well, that was what I call slightly freaky,' she thought. She moved her hand to the spot on her neck where Hiei touched her, and she gave a slight shiver. Never before had someone succeeded in shutting her up in such a way. Normally, her ligress would've been furious, and fought back, but for some reason, she hadn't responded.  
  
Tori jumped down from the roof, shuddering at how Hiei had actually made her submit to him. Normally, she'd never obey anyone's commands (courtesy of her family's death), but the way Hiei had done it, it scared her.  
  
She went down to her room, where the girls were still chattering excitedly with the boys, but the minute Tori came in, they jumped at her asking where she'd been.  
  
"SHUT UP ALREADY! I'M TIRED, AND I WANT TO GO TO BED!!" cried Tori. Without changing out of her clothes, she jumped into bed, turning off the lamp next to it. She pulled the covers off her face to look out the window, where Hiei sat on the railing, staring out into the city.  
  
Hiei felt Tori's gaze on him, and turned to meet her eyes. Tori hid underneath her pillow, sighing. This was going to be a looooong night...  
  
***********  
  
The next morning, Tori awoke to the sunlight. The door between the girls and boys rooms was locked, so she got up and changed clothes.  
  
"Oh, good, you're awake," came a voice behind her. Tori spun to see Kagome sitting up in bed, Botan, too. They had strange looks on their faces.  
  
"Yeah, I'm awake, so what?" Botan got up and stood in front of the door to the hallway.  
  
"You still didn't tell us where you were last night," she said, smirking. Tori rolled her eyes.  
  
"Not again, guys..."  
  
Kagome stood in between her and the balcony door, too.  
  
"Tori, just answer the question, its not that hard," said Kagome.  
  
"I was on the roof, ok?"  
  
"Ooo, on the roof, all alone, WITH HIEI?????" said Kagome smartly. Tori realized where this was going. Glaring as a cover-up for her blush, she sat down firmly on her bed, crossed her arms and legs, and snapped her jaw shut, pursing her lips. "And here I thought you said you'd never love again...Tsk, tsk, Tori."  
  
"Oh, shut up."  
  
"Ohh, that's so cute! You and Hiei! I can just picture it!" said Botan. Tori glared. Kagome had an evil look on her face, apparently in thought.  
  
"Kagome? What's going through that head of yours?" asked Tori warily. Kagome's expression suddenly changed to innocent.  
  
"Oh, nothing, nothing at all." She got up and dressed, so did Botan. She went to the boys' door, where she could hear the TV going. "Can Botan and I come in?" she asked, knocking on the door.  
  
"Sure," came the reply. Kagome and Botan went in. Tori was about to follow, but Kagome put out her hand, stopping her.  
  
"Say, Tori, since YOU'RE the one in this tournament, why don't you go out and duel some people? Come back around nighttime, ok?"  
  
"WHAT is going on, Kagome??" asked Tori angrily as the door shut on her, locking. Suddenly, she heard a sliding door close, and she went to her porch door, looking out to the next balcony, where Hiei was standing, glaring at the boys who'd thrown him out. He turned, not noticing Tori, and flew off into the city.  
  
Tori decided to head out on her own little journey. She went out of the hotel, heading down the main street, where there were many duelists eager to test their skills. She kept a sharp eye out, remembering what Hiei said about the robots. She was now out to find the real people.  
  
The first place to look was Yugi's grandfather's game shop, located in the dueling area of the city. She headed towards it. She was suddenly stopped by a boy about two years younger than her.  
  
"Hey, you look strong. Want to duel me?" he asked. Tori smiled.  
  
"Sure." After all, this WAS a dueling tournament.  
  
They began the duel. It took a minute or so for Tori to get a feel for the duel disk instead of a mat or dueling arena. The disk card slots had special magnets on them to keep the cards from falling off, so Tori didn't have to worry about holding her arm still while she dueled.  
  
Once she'd gotten used to the new system, the duel went much smoother for her. She eventually wound up beating the kid by about 2000 life points. He looked slightly disheartened, but Tori cheered him up by giving him a few supporting words and tips on how to do better next time. The kid handed over her second locator card. Tori didn't see why she needed it, but she took it. It wasn't like she was good enough to go to the finals.  
  
She soon found the little building with its yellow walls and green roof that said Game Shop in big red letters. She went in the front door, to see that it was rather dark.  
  
"Mr. Moto?" she called. Soon, a short old man with spiky gray hair came out of the back room. He looked seriously down about something.  
  
"Can I help...Oh! It's you!" he said. "Yugi's been worried sick about you for months!"  
  
"Where IS Yugi?" asked Tori.  
  
"That's what's wrong. I have no idea. He's been missing for days now. He hasn't come home, and I'm worried."  
  
"I came to see if he was here, but I guess not. I think I may know a way to find him, though," she said.  
  
"Please, find him! I can't leave the shop, thanks to the tournament!" said Mr. Moto.  
  
"Don't worry!" said Tori confidently as she walked out of the card shop.  
  
She knew the one and only place to start, and she didn't like it, one bit. She headed towards one of the biggest buildings in Domino. It towered above all the others around it, looking like a square bottle with an egg-shaped part right on top. On this part stood two letters: KC  
  
She reluctantly walked into the front lobby, where there were duelists and employees bustling around busily. Overhead hung a banner that read:  
  
WELCOME TO KAIBACORP  
  
Over in the corner was where Tori was headed. There was a set of computers set up just for duelists to locate others.  
  
Tori sat down at one, typing in the name 'Yugi Moto' on the screen. A red dot started blinking on the map that had appeared. It was in the warehouses next to the ocean. Tori's eyes widened. Why would Yugi be there? A window had also appeared displaying his dueling level (5 out of 5 stars), picture, and rarest card. Tori expected to see the Dark Magician on the screen, but something made her freeze. In the rarest card spot, Dark Magician had been replaced. Tori stared at the card. It was an enormous red dragon with two mouths. The name read: Slifer the Sky Dragon. Tori looked at its attack points, and was surprised to see that there wasn't a number, just an X followed by three 0's. Confusing...  
  
She decided to find the rest of the group. She typed 'Joey Wheeler' on the screen. Joey's dot was in the same place as Yugi's. His info read that his rarest card was no longer Red Eyes Black Dragon, it was...three? Tori read the cards, Jinzo, Insect Queen, and Legendary Fisherman. Apparently, all three were of equal status on the 'rarity' scale.  
  
Tori then typed in 'Bakura Ryou' (I'm making that his last name for now, I don't know his real last name.) The dot appeared near the aquarium.  
  
Out of suspicion, Tori typed in the one name that would answer one main question for her, 'Marik Ishtar'. She'd heard Yugi tell her the name once. He said how bad this Marik guy was, heck, he'd turned Joey on the rest of them, that was a good enough reason for Tori any day.  
  
She jumped when she saw his location. He was with Yugi and Joey! She closed the window and jumped up, about to race out the door, when she heard an all- too-familiarly cold voice.  
  
"Where are you going?" She spun around, coming face-to-face with the one and only Seto Kaiba.  
  
"None of your business, Kaiba." She turned to leave, when she felt the hand on her shoulder. "Hands...off!" she snapped viciously.  
  
"Where's Yugi? I haven't seen him in a while," said Kaiba in his icy tone.  
  
"I'm going to find out for myself," she responded touchily. She tore her shoulder away from Kaiba's grip and headed for the door.  
  
She made it outside all right, but she soon heard his footsteps behind her.  
  
"I'd like to know where he is, too, you know. We have a score to settle."  
  
"You have a score to settle with everybody!" snapped Tori. "Settle it with everyone else first, then solve your differences with Yugi, okay?" She turned to leave, but Kaiba grabbed her arm.  
  
"You're his girl, you know more about him than me. Spill!"  
  
"What is your deal?" asked Tori as she struggled to get away. He was scaring her.  
  
"You know his dueling strategies. If I learn them, then I can beat him at his own game!" said Kaiba in a hushed voice. His other hand went to his left hip, unnoticed by Tori. Tori glared at him, giving it one more fruitless pull on her arm.  
  
"Let go of her!" snarled another all-too-familiar voice. Suddenly, a certain black bullet collided with Kaiba, knocking him backwards. Tori opened her eyes to see the fire demon standing between her and the KaibaCorp President.  
  
"Hiei!" she said. Kaiba looked strangely at this newcomer.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked icily.  
  
"My name is Hiei, learn it, embrace it, fear it," snapped the demon in his own merciless voice.  
  
"Hiei, huh? No doubt you've heard of me, Seto Kaiba, the founder of this tournament."  
  
"Oh, yes, the snobby primadonna! I've heard loads about you," said Hiei sarcastically. Kaiba glared.  
  
"Whatever." He stalked back to the Kaiba Corp building, unable to obtain his information...for now...  
  
Hiei turned to Tori.  
  
"You all right?" he asked. Tori nodded. "What are you doing with people like him?"  
  
"Trust me, I didn't want to be near him. I was heading for the ocean," explained Tori.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"That's where they're holding two of my friends captive. I gotta go, now," said Tori, about to step around Hiei, but he took her wrist.  
  
"Not now," he said.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"We don't know what we're up against here," he explained. Tori sighed.  
  
"Good point. So, what do we do?"  
  
Hiei checked the clock, and marveled at how much time had passed.  
  
"It's about 4:30 in the afternoon," he said. "Maybe we should go back to the hotel."  
  
"I dunno...there was something scary about the look on Kagome's face this morning..." said Tori.  
  
"Yes, I got the same thing from Yusuke," replied the fire demon. Both fell silent.  
  
"Well, how about we just go and walk around a little more by ourselves, and at 7:00 we go back?" suggested Tori.  
  
"Whatever," said Hiei. He turned and walked away.  
  
Tori went towards the park, where she strolled along through the elongating shadows of the trees. There were a few people here, mostly couples. Tori looked sadly at one twosome that was sitting underneath a large elm, staring out across the small river that flowed through the park. Valentine's Day had just ended; many relationships had been refreshed. Tori looked to the ground as she walked down the path towards the little bridge that crossed the river. She stared quietly at the flowing water as it passed underneath her, glinting in the rays of the quickly dying sun.  
  
She found a tree unoccupied by anyone, and sat at the base of it, dozing off.  
  
***************  
  
She awoke to darkness. 'Holy shit! What time is it?' she thought, glancing at her watch hurriedly. She relaxed when it only read 6:40. It wasn't Daylight Savings, so it got dark by 6:00. She stood up, and began her trek back to the hotel, noting that all the couples had gone.  
  
She reached the hotel without running into any duelists or gangsters, thankfully. She went inside the lobby, where other duelists were relaxing. There was no dueling allowed in the hotel. She hopped onto the elevator, patiently waiting as it went up and up, finally reaching her floor.  
  
She headed down the hallway to her room and opened the door with her key. When she stepped inside, it was totally dark.  
  
"Um, Kagome? Botan?" No answer. She warily went into the room, shutting the door behind her, making the room pitch-black.  
  
Just as she did, she felt two pairs of hands grab each of her arms, catching her by surprise. "Who is that?" she asked sternly. She was roughly dragged across the room, and she sensed someone in front of her, who moved, and the air was swept to one side, meaning a door had opened. She struggled, but was thrown into what she now remembered was a walk-in closet in their room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Tori the Hanyou: How'd u like that? You'll find out Kagome's 'evil' plot in the next chapter, though it's pretty obvious what it is now...and what's going on with these crazy people! Hopefully, nobody's going insane here except me...oh, well!  
  
REVIEW RESPONSES:  
  
SniperGirl: Well, u found out! Lol! Thanks! I wrote that song myself! Who knows...maybe I'll be the next Weird Al Yankovic! Erm...maybe not...tee hee!  
  
Kairinu: I'm glad u like!  
  
Lifeless Kanna: Yeah, I don't know what's going on there, but yeah! At least I updated!  
  
Don't know: Thank you for the compliment. Yeah ^-^; I tend to want to add in my own comments on certain things...but Anywho! Wow! 10 outta 10! Thanks!  
  
Ladytaurus4eva: Ok, ill try to add Kag in more on the fighting parts, well, actually, she was going to help Kurama first, but then HE kissed HER! Lol! I guess then she was going to help Inu, but just...didn't...I dunno...I'm very weird that way, as u probably know...Oh, ya, Inu's not dead, after he woke up, which was after Kur and Kag left, he left and went home. Poor guy, guess I could've been less harsh on him...but oh, well. I said in answer to one of my reviews in earlier chapters, I am NOT, I repeat, NOT putting Inu with Kikyo! He's just gonna b single the rest of his life! ^-^ Thanks for the compliment, too!  
  
~*Tori the Hanyou*~  
  
P.S. Chapter preview: Stuck in the Closet! 


	10. Stuck in the Closet!

Tori the Hanyou: *AHEM!* I HAVE AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! I KNOW THAT YUGI, JOEY AND TRISTAN WERE ONLY ROBOTS, BUT I HAVE DECIDED TO MAKE THEM JERKS! IF ANYONE OBJECTS TO THIS, PLZ RESPOND IN A REVIEW! THAT IS ALL!  
  
Sheesh...*in a hoarse voice* Mom was right...yelling like that hurts...I wonder how she does it...  
  
DISCLAIMER: No  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 10: Stuck in the Closet!  
  
Tori landed on top of something, or someone, and the door closed behind her, and she heard a lock click. Victorious cries were heard outside as the bedroom light came on.  
  
She then realized she WAS on top of someone, and jumped off quickly. In the dim light emanating from under the door, Tori barely made out the face. "Hiei? They got you, too?" she asked.  
  
"What does it look like?" he asked irritably.  
  
"Oh, God, I am SO gonna kill Kagome for this..."  
  
"Not before I kill that pathetic spirit detective," responded Hiei. They sat in silence for a while.  
  
"So, how do we get outta this?" asked Tori.  
  
"Honestly, I have no idea," came the response.  
  
"You wanna know how to get out?" asked Kagome from the other side of the door. Tori glared, but Kagome didn't wait for a response. "You guys HAVE to kiss!" she said, giggling wildly. Tori's jaw dropped.  
  
"KAGOMEEEEEEEEE!" she yelled, pounding the door. "LET ME OUT! RIGHT NOOOW!"  
  
"Oh, shut it, she's not going to," said Hiei in a bored manner.  
  
"Well, I'm not going along with this!" snapped Tori.  
  
"Then I guess we're stuck here," said Hiei.  
  
"Guess so!" said Tori, sitting down in the corner nearest the door, while Hiei was in the back corner. They didn't speak to each other for a long time.  
  
Every few minutes, they'd hear the channel change on the TV, but still neither of them spoke. Tori fumed, thinking of every possible way to murder Kagome once she got out of there. Hiei was thinking the same thing, except it was for Yusuke. Tori soon caught her eyes straying over to the corner, where the demon sat glaring at the floor. She looked away to the wall opposite her. How dare Kagome do this! This was wrong! She'd been locked in a closet before, but that was with Yugi, and right now she didn't want to go through something like that again.  
  
Her mind began to wander as she listened to the TV, occasionally glancing at Hiei. After the little episode the night before, she'd actually begun to slightly fear the guy. After all, he HAD spoken to her in that poisonous voice, with those electrifying crimson eyes staring deep into hers. She shuddered at the memory. He WAS a demon, but he shouldn't be so controlling of her...should he?  
  
'Duh! It's demon nature to do that!' snapped the ligress. Tori glared inwardly at the big cat.  
  
'And how would YOU know?' asked Tori.  
  
'Believe me, Hun; I've seen demons like this. It means he LIKES you! It's kind of how demons show their leadership and power over their female,' explained the ligress.  
  
'What the hell??' asked Tori. 'I'm not HIS female! I never will be!'  
  
'That's what you think...' said the ligress. Tori inwardly rolled her eyes. Hiei? Like her? Yeah, that would ever happen. Hiei didn't seem like the kind of person who could actually like someone.  
  
The ligress then retreated into her mind. Tori sighed. This was VERY strange...  
  
She stood up, and grabbed a blanket from the small shelf on the top of the closet, rolling over against the door. She sensed Hiei do the same, grabbing a blanket and leaning against the back wall. Neither fell asleep.  
  
Kagome noticed the quiet come from the closet.  
  
"What's going on in there?" she asked the others.  
  
"Obviously, they're not doing anything," said Kurama.  
  
"How do you know?" asked Botan.  
  
"Hiei's not one to follow orders to get out of something. Yet, I'm getting a feeling that he's not thinking too badly of this situation. What I mean is, he can simply blast down that door anytime he wants, yet why hasn't he done it?" asked Kurama. Everyone pondered this for a second.  
  
"So, you're saying he really does like what we've done?" asked Yusuke.  
  
"Well, I'm not saying he likes it, but I'm thinking he's going to use it to his advantage," explained Kurama.  
  
"Okay, so what do we do?"  
  
"It might take a while, but I think Hiei will come through eventually."  
  
"Alrighty then, so how long will that take?"  
  
"Not sure, but I think we should leave them in there overnight," said Kurama.  
  
"WHAT?? Tori's gonna die in there if we don't let her out!" cried Kagome. Kurama raised an eyebrow at her. "Hello! Animal instincts!" reminded Kagome. Yusuke snickered.  
  
"Well...I think Tori'll be all right in there, once she and Hiei have settled things, I think she'll be comfortable to have him with her," he said, stifling a laugh.  
  
"What's so funny?" snapped Botan.  
  
"Hiei...with a girl...you gotta admit this is new," explained Yusuke.  
  
"Yes, but I still don't see the humor in it," said Botan.  
  
"Never mind about it. They'll see things eventually," said Kurama as he switched the channel yet again.  
  
Kagome felt Kurama's hand move around her waist, and she smiled, scooting into his embrace. It felt much better now that she could stay in the present without worrying about Inuyasha. Kurama rested his head on top of Kagome's.  
  
Yusuke took a glance at them, not even bothering with his usual childish cracks, he simply turned to look out the window. He missed Keiko, and he was positive Kuwabara missed Yukina right about now. He decided, the first thing he was doing once he got home was taking Keiko out somewhere, screw any missions Koenma wanted to send him on. He and Keiko needed some time together.  
  
Tori couldn't make out the murmurings of the conversation outside, but she was positive it was about her and the certain dark figure in the corner. She gave a small sigh, feeling her eyelids droop from the hum of voices mixed with the TV. They finally shut, and Tori slipped into a rough slumber.  
  
Hiei listened, too, and had just as much luck of knowing what was being said than the girl in the other corner. He heard her slight huff, and sensed her energy growing lower as she began to fall asleep. He turned his eyes back to the floor. His demon blood was beginning to bubble again. His instincts were telling him to go to the girl, yet his pride was refusing him to follow what some measly humans had told him to do.  
  
He began to have a hard time controlling himself. She was just lying there; she wasn't even awake. His demonic instincts were thinking opportune moment, while he was trying all he could to prevent himself from suddenly grabbing her and telling her how he felt with his lips instead of his voice. He felt his body moving towards her, and he couldn't stop, until he heard her give a muffled whimper, which made him freeze. She was slightly shaking, and her head was turning from side to side.  
  
"How...do I...get out...? Let me out!" she said quietly. Hiei realized she was having a nightmare...again. His demonic lust was suddenly replaced by need to simply comfort her. He now moved closer, not objecting at all this time. He turned her face to look at his with one hand. Her expression winced as she lashed out at nothing, barely missing Hiei. He put his arms around her, and he blushed as she responded by unconsciously snuggling into him.  
  
"It's...ok...I'm here," he whispered, and Tori relaxed.  
  
Tori's nightmare consisted of her being trapped in a box that continuously grew smaller. Naturally, she wanted out of there. She asked how could she get out, but no one answered. She then tried to get out by kicking at the wall, but nothing happened. She started to slightly panic, until she felt something warm wrap around her. Tori immediately went to the source of the comfort, feeling it respond by tightening its arms snugly. She tried to look up to see the face, but it was dark, she couldn't tell. She then felt it drag her against the back wall of the box, and she blanked out.  
  
Hiei sat against the back wall of the closet, draping both blankets around him and his captive. He pulled her closer to him, and they both fell into silent sleep.  
  
Yusuke's ear was against the door.  
  
"Yusuke, I'm sure things are fine in there," reassured Botan.  
  
"I don't hear anything. Maybe they're asleep," he said in answer. He put his hand on the lock, about to turn it.  
  
"Wait! It may be a trick," said Botan hurriedly.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Trust Hiei to pull something like that," responded Yusuke. "So, what do we do?"  
  
"I wanna check on 'em," said Kuwabara.  
  
"Didn't you hear Botan? Hiei or Tori...or both...are being quiet so we'll think they're asleep, and then they'll jump out and pulverize us when we open the door to check, you moron!" snapped Yusuke.  
  
"So? I can take them!" said Kuwabara roughly.  
  
"Uhh, are we talking about the same person here? This is HIEI! You could never catch, let alone fight him to begin with!"  
  
"Well, you got any better suggestions?"  
  
"Yeah, get your stupid butt away from the door and leave them alone!"  
  
"Boys, quit it. I swear, you two act like such children sometimes..." said Botan. She gave a fake smile. "Do I need to be someone's babysitter?" she said sweetly.  
  
"Shut up."  
  
*Hours later...  
  
Tori awoke to complete darkness and silence. Her ligress's night vision kicked in after a while, and she could see a faint glow from under the door, no doubt it was the light coming in from the windows, Domino was always brightly lit at night. She then tried to move, and felt the warmth shift around her. She was under a blanket, leaning against something hard, which she soon realized was gently moving up and down. She turned and looked up, right into Hiei's sleeping face.  
  
She immediately became concerned. Her ligress had been right. 'Man, I'll never hear the end of it,' she thought. She was about to pull herself free, when her eyes were drawn to the demon's face. He looked so cute when he was asleep. Moving might wake him up, and she definitely didn't want that. She rested her head back on his shoulder, lying awake. She gave one more useless attempt at freedom, but that stirred the youkai from his slumber.  
  
Hiei's eyes opened, and his demon senses sharply took in his surroundings as he looked at the source of his awakening. Tori was staring at him with a frozen look. He raised an eyebrow at her, before remembering what he had done. His pride and demon instincts went at it again, trying to decide whether he should let go of her and cover it up or not. His instincts won.  
  
"Uhh...sleep well?" he asked warily to start things off. Tori snapped out of it, and realized this wasn't a big mistake, since he wasn't letting go of her. She blushed; yeah, her ligress was definitely right.  
  
"I dunno...I couldn't tell," she responded, looking away.  
  
"Something wrong?" he asked, knowing what the answer would be.  
  
"Well, I didn't exactly expect someone who acts so cold to me all the time to suddenly spring up and wrap their arms around me while I was sleeping," she answered. He still wasn't letting go.  
  
"You were having a nightmare," he said simply.  
  
"And...why would you care?"  
  
'Don't lie, you moron,' thought Hiei to himself. "Well...I'm...not sure..."  
  
"Not sure?" asked Tori matter-of-factly.  
  
"Well...I...can't say, really," he answered.  
  
"I'm sure you're physically capable of saying why, you just don't want to," said Tori, getting slightly angry. She tried to pull away, yet he still wouldn't release her. "Could you let me go?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Okay, why not this time?"  
  
"The same reason I tried to comfort you when you were having a nightmare," he said smoothly. Now was the time to take the offensive, verbally. "Why do you ask so many questions about a simple show of affection?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"And," he cut her off, "Why are you getting mad? Is it that you don't feel the same for me?" he asked in a hushed voice. This would be fun. He loved playing with emotions. He slightly hung his head, giving a downcast look towards the floor.  
  
Tori mentally jumped, thinking she'd hurt his feelings.  
  
"No, no. It's not that...it's just...I didn't expect this kind of affection so suddenly..." She stopped when she saw Hiei raise his head, a devious glint in his eye.  
  
"Oh? So you DO feel the same for me?" he asked devilishly, his trademark smirk appearing on his face. Tori glared, suddenly angry with him for him tricking her, but it quickly subsided. She looked down shyly.  
  
"Y-yeah, I suppose..."  
  
"You suppose?ieHieiHiei" asked Hiei, turning her face up to his again.  
  
"Umm..."  
  
"Well?" Hiei was pressuring her, his gaze boring into hers. Tori couldn't look away. The truth was slowly being dragged out of her. She couldn't lie to the eyes that penetrated her own.  
  
"Yes," she finally said, defeated. Hiei's gaze softened, from smirk to gentle smile.  
  
"That's all I needed to hear," he said quietly, closing his mouth over hers. Tori didn't object; this felt right. She yielded to him, kissing back.  
  
Low and behold, a certain teenage priestess just so happened to open the door to check on them. Before the couple could notice her, she had shut it quickly, a look of shock and amazement on her face. Kurama got up and came over when he saw her jump.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"I don't believe it...it worked," she said, positively dumbstruck.  
  
"You mean...they're..." Kurama started. Kagome nodded, a small smile on her face. "Well, we promised them if they worked things out they could leave," Kurama continued. Kagome gave him a slight pleading look.  
  
"Aww, but they're so peaceful in there. You wanna disturb them now?"  
  
"We did promise..."  
  
"No, we didn't, actually," said Kagome, a sly smile forming.  
  
"Kagome..."  
  
"Why not just a little longer? An hour? Half an hour?" asked Kagome. Kurama gave in.  
  
"Fine, a half an hour more. But then we let them out!" he said sharply. Kagome nodded. The sun had begun to rise over the slumbering city. Kagome couldn't believe how early she, Kurama, Hiei and Tori were up. It was like 5:30am! Over in the next room, Yusuke and Kuwabara's snores could be heard. Botan was asleep on her bed. Kagome yawned, realizing how tired she was still. Kurama took her over to the couch, and both sat down. It wasn't long before Kagome had dozed off, encircled by Kurama's arms.  
  
Tori's head lay resting on Hiei's shoulder. She was happy to have found someone else. Hiei wasn't as creepy as Yugi, though he was a little more controlling. She didn't mind. She snuggled up to him, feeling his arms snake their way around her. She didn't know how long it would be until they were let out, but one thing was for sure, she didn't care anymore.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Tori the Hanyou: Wow, lots of couple-fluff there! There was even a teensie- weensy bit of Yusuke/Keiko and Kuwabara/Yukina fluff in the middle, they miss them! Well! I'm sorry for the shortness of the chapter, but my brother just turned on College Basketball, so I gotta sign off.  
  
Here are some review answers:  
  
UltaAnimeFangurl2004: Yeah, they were robots, but I'm not telling who sent them! You'll have to wait! Hmm, you want the guys to be jerks? OKAY! I'll MAKE em jerks! WOOPEE THIS IS GONNA B FUUUNN!!!!!  
  
MIDnight Ice Wolf: You changed ur name? Interesting...anywho, ur welcome for the corrections! And Kari, don't b so mean!  
  
Hunters of the Dusk: Yeah, I don't hav a crush on him; I think he's snobby, lol!  
  
Yune the Ice Demon: Okay! Here's more! Lol!  
  
BloodRoseOTDemon: Well, haven't seen u in a while! Thanks for reviewing again! Next chappie's soon!  
  
Lifeless-Kanna: Okay, then! ^-^ Cuz, as u can tell from my story, I do NOT think that! Lol!  
  
Cya guys!  
  
~*Tori the Hanyou*~ 


	11. The Reunion

Tori the Hanyou: Yay! Made it past chappie 10!!!! SO HAPPY!!!! ^-^ I want to thank all of you for the AWESOME reviews! Usually, stories that have the author in them don't turn out very popular, but I thank y'all sooo much for making this a good one! Well, you guys know the drill, LET'S GO!!!  
  
DISCLAIMER: No  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 11: The Reunion  
  
Kagome awoke at approximately 7:30 that morning with a scared look.  
  
"I thought you said we'd let them out in a half an hour!" she said, waking Kurama.  
  
"What...oh, we must've dozed off, I suppose," responded the kitsune, turning to look at the closet door. "Oh, looks like they let themselves out."  
  
"What do you mean? They can't...oh, no..." said Kagome with a horrified expression.  
  
"OH NO IS RIGHT!" came a voice from behind the couch. Tori suddenly jumped up and began pounding the heck out of both of them with two couch cushions. "HOW *bam* DARE *bam* YOU *bam* LOCK ME *bam* WITH HIEI *bam* IN A CLOSET *bam* ALL *bam* STINKIN' *bam* NIGHT!!!! *Bam, bam, bam*"  
  
"Whoa, Tori! Calm down!" cried Kagome as she tried to shield herself from the pillow onslaught. Kurama pulled Kagome off the couch to avoid the angry girl, but Tori finished up by hurling both pillows at them with a final huff of satisfaction.  
  
The yelling in the girls' room awoke the two boys from their sleep. Yusuke yawned and realized his head hurt, a lot. He opened his eyes to see the bright sun rising over the city, though why was it upside down, and why did he suddenly feel cold? He fully awoke to realize he was hanging outside the window by black energy ropes attached to the porch. Horrified, he looked to his left, to see Kuwabara half-awake, too.  
  
"WAKE UP, YOU IDIOT!!" yelled Yusuke. Kuwabara jumped, looking at him.  
  
"What? What?" He looked down. "YIPE!!! HEEELLLLPPP!!!"  
  
"Having fun down there?" came the cocky voice of the fire demon. Both looked up to see Hiei smirking at them from his position on the porch railing.  
  
Tori heard the distress call and turned to look out the window.  
  
"Jeez, he sure let them off easy. I thought he was gonna throw them out the window instead of hanging them from the porch with the look he had on his face," she said to herself. Kagome and Kurama hurried over and looked, too.  
  
"Well? Do something! He might drop them!" said Kagome.  
  
"Oh, don't worry about it. I sure think they deserve it, but Hiei wouldn't let them fall," said Tori confidently. To rest her case, Hiei pulled the boys back up on the porch, but left them tied up. He came inside.  
  
"Oh, hello. Did Tori beat the crap out of you two like she said she was going to?" he asked. Their appearances had answered the question before he even asked. "Thought so, looks like you had a nice awakening," he snickered. Kagome glared.  
  
"Uhh, can someone help us out here?" asked Yusuke meekly. Tori turned to Hiei.  
  
"I think scaring the hell out of them was enough punishment," she said.  
  
"Fine," said Hiei with a look of sarcastic annoyance on his face. He snapped his fingers, and the ropes vanished. The two came inside, and burst out into laughter at seeing Kagome and Kurama's hair after Tori's pillow attack. Botan awoke, and stared around, yawning,  
  
"What'd I miss?" She squeaked when she noticed Tori and Hiei. "Oh! Uh...hello! You two sleep well?" she asked warily. They gave her a look, and she shut up.  
  
After cleaning themselves up and dressing, everyone went down to the lobby for breakfast. Tori explained her plight she had found yesterday at KaibaCorp.  
  
"What's this got to do with our mission?" asked Yusuke stiffly. Botan elbowed him.  
  
"These are her friends, Yusuke! I think we should help them," she said. Tori smiled.  
  
"Thanks, Botan, but I have no idea where to begin. I know where they are, but this guy who's with them is bad news, according to Yugi. I've never seen or heard him, but if he turned one of my friends against the rest of us, he's pretty damn sick. I just don't know what I'm facing here. He might be too strong for any of us to cope with," she explained.  
  
"Good point," said Kagome. "Well, I think we need to find your other friends, Tori. If we've got their help, we might be able to save them, ok?"  
  
"Yeah, good idea, Kagome."  
  
So, after breakfast they headed down to KaibaCorp, where Tori once more searched the names to check where they were today. Yugi, Joey, and Tristan were still in the warehouses, so Tori checked Bakura's location. He was at the aquarium again. Luckily, Kaiba was nowhere in sight, so they hurried out before he made his appearance.  
  
Tori led the way to the aquarium, which was next to the ocean. She decided to have them split up. She, Botan, Kagome and Yusuke would search the orca show stadium, and Hiei, Kurama, and Kuwabara would go under to the tanks. They went inside.  
  
Tori looked around. The stands were full of people, while in the center stood a large, circular tank where an enormous killer whale was launching its great body out of the water into a twister-like dive. It landed in the water, splashing the audience with a tidal wave of seawater. Kagome, Botan and Tori watched with amazement, while Yusuke was glancing around.  
  
Meanwhile, high in the stands, a boy with light brown skin, white, untidy hair, and sharp lavender eyes sat watching the newcomers. He turned to the man standing next to him.  
  
"Odion, do you feel that?" he asked.  
  
"You mean that energy that appeared, sir?" asked his companion. This man was bald, except for a ponytail of black hair in the back of his head. Half of his face was tattooed with ancient hieroglyphics and symbols, and he had yellowish-amber eyes.  
  
"Yes. It's coming from those three down there," he gestured to Kagome, Tori and Yusuke. "I've never felt anything like it. The most unique of that energy seems to be coming from her," he pointed at Kagome. "It's priestess power, extremely ancient magic," he explained. Odion nodded.  
  
"Aye, sir, I feel it."  
  
"I want you to bring me that priestess. Her powers will definitely be of use to me," he said. Odion nodded.  
  
"Aye, Master Marik."  
  
*************  
  
Kuwabara stared at the large box jellyfish as they drifted in the tank.  
  
"Those things' tentacles look like fettuccini pasta," he said with disgust.  
  
"Yes, but they're quite dangerous. They're the most poisonous animal on Earth," explained Kurama. Kuwabara flinched and withdrew from the tank glass.  
  
"Gross."  
  
They continued down the dark hallway, passing a number of different animal species. Hiei kept every sense open as he glared sharply around. Kurama was fairly enjoying himself, taking the time to admire some of the creatures as they walked by. He particularly liked the dolphins, how playful and sneaky they were! Yoko looked on with interest as they read about each animal.  
  
Kurama looked up ahead in the hallway. A group of kids his age was standing watching the killer whales in the display tank, two of them were boys, and three were girls. Kurama approached them.  
  
"Excuse me. We're looking for someone named Bakura Ryou. Do you know him?" he asked. Hiei and Kuwabara came up behind him.  
  
"Um, that's me," said one of the boys, stepping forward.  
  
"Oh, nice to meet you. I'm Kurama, and these two are my friends, Hiei and Kuwabara. You wouldn't happen to know a girl by the name of Tori, would you?" he asked. A girl spoke up.  
  
"Yes, we all know her. She's our friend. Why? Do you know where she is?" she asked. She had short, brown hair and blue eyes.  
  
"Um, yes, she's up in the stadium right now with three more of our friends," answered Kurama.  
  
"Are you serious? We've been worried about her, ever since she left..." another girl said, her voice trailing off. This girl had amber-colored hair with grayish-green eyes.  
  
"Why did she leave?" asked Kurama, to appear as though he didn't know.  
  
"It was three of our friends," said the last girl. This one had purple eyes and long, wavy blonde hair. "They were being awful, saying horrible things about her. She just so happened to overhear them, and decided to leave."  
  
"We haven't seen her since," explained the brunette.  
  
"Well, she's here," said Hiei.  
  
"We'll take you to her. She's been looking for you as well," said Kurama. As they were walking, he piped up again. "By the way, what are your names?"  
  
"I'm Tea," said the brunette.  
  
"I'm Serenity," said the amber.  
  
"I'm Mai," said the blonde.  
  
"And I'm Duke. You know Bakura," said the other boy, gesturing to the first one.  
  
They reached the stadium, where the show had ended, looking around.  
  
Tori and Kagome were leaning against the exit wall, watching the people go by.  
  
"See 'em?" asked Kagome.  
  
"Nope. Where're Botan and Yusuke?"  
  
"Yusuke went to the bathroom. No idea where Botan is," came the response.  
  
"I'm gonna go find her, ok? Stay here and keep an eye out," said Tori, turning and weaving back through the flood of chattering people.  
  
Kagome watched her friend disappear, and continued scanning the crowd for anyone fitting the description of what Tori had told her. After a while, the crowd was almost completely gone, and there was still no sign of anyone like that. Now she'd started keeping an eye out for Tori, Botan, or even Yusuke. It was starting to get quite lonely.  
  
She didn't notice the figure approach her until he'd spoken.  
  
"Hello. And who might you be?" Kagome jumped, and turned to see a hooded face. Yellow eyes watched her from underneath.  
  
"Um, I'm looking for someone right now," she said, edging away. 'Where the hell is Tori when you need her?' she thought.  
  
"Maybe I can help. Actually, maybe we can help each other," said the figure. His voice was deep, and had a rather untrustworthy tone to it. "My master would like to see you, and after you've spoken with him, I'll help you find whoever it is you're looking for."  
  
"And what if I decline?" asked Kagome, getting defensive.  
  
"That's not an option, I'm afraid. Come along." He grabbed her wrist before she could object, clapping a hand across her mouth. Kagome thrashed; taking a leaf out of Tori's book, she tried to bite him. Didn't work. The man dragged her out of the aquarium to a waiting car. He threw her inside, and Kagome managed a scream,  
  
"HEEELP!!!" before the door slammed.  
  
Tori found Botan talking with the orca trainer who, when she got closer, realized was none other than Mako Tsunami.  
  
"Hey, Botan! Kagome and I were wondering where you were!" she said.  
  
"Oh, hello there, Tori!" said Mako.  
  
"Hiya, Mako. Have you seen my friends?" she asked.  
  
"Why yes, they were here a while ago, I think they went under..."  
  
He was cut off when all of them heard Kagome scream.  
  
"Kagome!" Tori raced for the exit as fast as she could go. Apparently, somehow Kurama had heard her, too, for he was already there.  
  
"Where is she?" he asked.  
  
Tori noticed the car tearing away.  
  
"There!" She raced for the tires, claws extended, but missed. Kurama shot out his whip, latching it onto the antenna. The car slowed as Kurama held his ground. Tori grabbed the whip and helped pull, ignoring the thorns digging into her palms. Botan came running out and tried to help, but the antenna on the car snapped, and it drove away.  
  
"No!" yelled Kurama. He tried to run after it, but Tori stopped him.  
  
"Wait! I told you this morning! You could be running to your death, you know!"  
  
"It'd be well worth it," said Kurama angrily. Hiei appeared.  
  
"No, it wouldn't. It'll be a lot better to have you alive to help us think of a better way instead of just charging in like Yusuke does," he explained.  
  
Still glaring after the car, Kurama reluctantly stopped.  
  
"So, what do you suggest?" he asked.  
  
"I just said it," said Hiei. He turned to Tori. "We found your friends, by the way. What was your plan of action after we located them?"  
  
"Oh, right. I said we needed to head down to the docks. That's where the warehouses are. Hiei, show me that thing you pulled out of the robots," she said.  
  
"This?" He pulled the tiny microchip out.  
  
"Yeah, you said we could track them using that. Botan, give me your detector," said Tori.  
  
Botan handed it to her. "If we can somehow implant this microchip into the detector, it might be able to show us where they are, similar to how we find the artifacts," explained Tori.  
  
"I think I might know a way," said Kurama. He took the chip and detector, opening the back of the detector. While he was working, Kuwabara and Yusuke came up. After telling them what happened, Hiei noticed Tori's bloodstained palms.  
  
"Tori, your hands," he said.  
  
"Huh? Oh, I didn't notice," she said, looking at them. "But now that you mention it, they're starting to hurt."  
  
"I've got just the thing!" said Botan, opening her knapsack and pulling out medical tape and peroxide. She handed them to Tori.  
  
"We'd better take the bus down to the docks," said Yusuke.  
  
They reached a bus stop, where they waited. Tori was slightly angry with herself for letting Kagome get kidnapped. She could tell Kurama felt the same.  
  
When the bus came, they got on. It had a few more stops before the docks, so they took seats near the back. Botan sat with Kurama to help with the detector, Yusuke and Kuwabara sat together, and Tori sat with Hiei.  
  
While they were driving, Tori was huffily trying to put the tape around her hands. The peroxide stung badly, putting her in a worse mood. Hiei watched for a minute, before placing a hand on her wrist, stopping her.  
  
"Here, let me do it," he said. He took the tape from her, wrapping it gently around her left hand. Tori blushed, feeling his hands softly caress her own. Tori gently smiled as he finished her left hand and started her right. Strangely, her hands already started to feel better...  
  
Kurama attached the last wire with Botan's tweezers, and closed the back.  
  
"So you're saying we don't even need to take the chip out to find the artifacts again?" he asked. Botan nodded. They looked around. Botan noticed, with exasperation, that Kuwabara and Yusuke were having a thumb- war, and Kurama spied Tori and Hiei. He glared out the window. Whoever Kagome's kidnapper was, they'd pay dearly.  
  
When they got off the bus, they headed for the docks. Once more, they split up to search, everyone by themselves. Hiei knew it'd be better if he stuck near Tori, but Kurama insisted he search near the ocean, whereas Tori was on the streets.  
  
After a while of walking near the roads, Tori heard car wheels behind her. She jumped and spun around. It wasn't Kagome's kidnapper, but a silver limousine. It stopped next to her. Tori glared as the door opened, and out stepped the primadonna himself, Seto Kaiba.  
  
"Now what?" she snapped angrily.  
  
"I needed to speak with you," answered Kaiba. Tori took one step back.  
  
"Sorry, but I'm busy right now. A friend of mine's been kidnapped and..."  
  
"Why don't you just use your POWERS to find her?" sneered Kaiba. Tori gasped, her anger forgotten.  
  
"H-how did you know about my powers?" she said with shock.  
  
"I've seen you around the city, pulling off numerous escapes using mysterious claws/super speed that seem to appear out of nowhere," he spoke with utmost confidence.  
  
Tori's look of surprise changed back to a glare.  
  
"Then you know what I can do to you if you annoy me too much," she snapped. Kaiba's smirk remained on his face.  
  
"I do. And that's why I've enlisted the help of a certain item I picked up," he said. Before Tori could react, Kaiba's hand had gone to his left hip again, and he drew out a long, silver sword with a spiked hilt embedded with mystifying purple jewels. Tori's eyes widened.  
  
"Th-the Demonic Blade..." she gasped out before Kaiba had jumped forward, the jewels glowing, and the blade struck her shoulder, going through without any damage.  
  
Tori and the ligress were only able to put up a small mental fight before the Blade's power fully took over, and both blanked out.  
  
Kaiba gave a snicker as the girl collapsed. He waited for a minute, to make sure she was completely under his control, before he spoke her name.  
  
"Tori. Stand up." Immediately, she rose to her feet, and her normally sparkling brown eyes had become dull, empty, and lifeless, with the pupils closed up. "Get in the limo. We're leaving," he ordered.  
  
"Yes, master..." came Tori's monotone voice, as she stepped into the limo, Kaiba following her and closing the door.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Tori the Hanyou: Eep! Ok, I'm scared now! I can't BELIEVE I wrote that! *hides* Anywho, once more, thank you for the reviews! I'll answer these reviews right now:  
  
Black Mage Tsucasa: Umm...can you plz tell me what you mean by that? I'm confoosed...  
  
eddie4: Let me guess why ch 9 is your fave...no cliffies, am I right? Lol, jk! Thanks for the compy!  
  
Choas Babe: Hell, yeah! This is one of my fave reviews for this chappie!  
  
Evildemon: I know, but I decided to make it flying, just cuz I'm weird that way, lol!  
  
UltaAnimeFangurl2004: Uhh...*blush*...I dunno...and for updating, my mom's always hassling me, especially these days. I barely have any time for writing nemore.  
  
MIdnight Ice Wolf: Lemme guess, you betted on what would happen in the closet? Ha, good bet!  
  
CHAPTER TITLE PREVIEW: Hypnotized 


	12. Hypnotized

Tori the Hanyou: Ok, I'm starting this one right now just so you guys don't get all huffy about me putting ANOTHER cliffhanger. I'm sorry, but I just do that sometimes. I'm a very suspenseful writer, in case you haven't noticed, lol. Well, anywho, let's just get on with the chappie, ok?  
  
DISCLAIMER: No  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 12: Hypnotized  
  
Kurama followed Kagome's scent as best as he could, but it was hard with all of the awful warehouse smells around him. Botan was using her detector. Apparently, the warehouse was somewhere near the water.  
  
Yusuke wandered through the warehouses, randomly picking one and looking inside. Kuwabara was practicing his spirit sword techniques on an unsuspecting trash can, and Hiei scanned the area from his position on top of one of the warehouses. His mind began to wander, and he thought about going to check on Tori. He heard wheels, they stopped, and after a while, they started again, and he flew off toward the area to see a silver limo drive away. He sensed Tori's energy, suddenly gone.  
  
"Strange..." he muttered to himself. He gave a suspicious stare after the limo before flying off to find Kurama. Something was nagging at him, though. An urgent feeling was in his stomach, and he continued looking back at the direction the limousine had gone. He found Kurama after a while. "Have you seen Tori?" he asked.  
  
"No, I said she'd be looking along the roads, didn't I?" asked Kurama.  
  
"Yes, but I just checked there. She's nowhere in sight, and when I traced her energy there, it had vanished. Just like that," said Hiei. Kurama gazed at him with a troubled look.  
  
"Did you see anything other than warehouse things?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, a limousine..." He froze in mid-speech. "GODDAMNIT!!!" he yelled, taking off. Kurama flew off after him.  
  
"Wait! Hiei, we don't even know what's going on, who kidnapped her, or where she is!" he said, stopping him. Hiei glared at him.  
  
"Tori's in trouble, I'm not stopping until I find her," he snarled.  
  
"You know, that's similar to what I said when Tori told me not to go after Kagome, and you reasoned with me," said Kurama.  
  
Hiei stopped. Glaring at the ground, he turned to Kurama.  
  
"Fine, so now what? We've lost two of our group to drive-by kidnappers, and one of those two I happen to care a LOT about, so what do we do?"  
  
"First off, we shouldn't get angry. That other someone was one I cared deeply for, too, Hiei. We mustn't be hasty. Tori and Kagome need our help, and we're not going to let their kidnappers get the best of them OR us, are we?"  
  
Hiei continued to glare, but he answered,  
  
"No."  
  
"Good. So, since we're already here, I suggest we look for Kagome," said Kurama.  
  
"Right."  
  
*Meanwhile*...  
  
Marik stood looking at his newest mind slave. Kagome's normally cheerful brown eyes had, like Tori's, become empty and dull. She stared into space, awaiting the orders of her master.  
  
"Yes, her power is exactly what we need," he said, holding up his Millennium Rod and twirling it in his hand. "Odion, bring her with us. We're going to pay a visit to the last of our Egyptian God Card holders."  
  
"Aye, sir."  
  
Their black car drove away just as Kurama and Hiei reached the warehouse.  
  
Kurama opened the door and peered inside. He gestured to Hiei to follow. They went in.  
  
"This is where her scent ends, I'm sure of it," said Kurama. They went out of the front hallway into the main part of the warehouse. Kurama was looking around at the boxes stacked up, wondering if any enemies could be behind them, when he bumped into a frozen Hiei. He looked where Hiei was looking, and up on the wall hung three teenage boys by their wrists in large, metal manacles.  
  
"Are they alive?" asked Hiei sarcastically. Kurama rolled his eyes and went up to them. He could smell their life, they definitely weren't dead.  
  
Hiei came up to the middle one, the boy with blonde spiked hair with red tips. 'This is that guy Tori always talks about. What was his name, Yugi, Yuji, something like that...'  
  
"Hiei, look at these. They're those things that Tori wears around her arm." Kurama pointed to two duel disks sitting on a crate.  
  
"Hmm..." said Hiei as he examined them. "I wonder where the guy is who runs this joint."  
  
"Are you two gonna stand there, or help us out?" snapped a voice. Hiei and Kurama spun around to see the boy with the hair styled to make a point in front glaring at them. Hiei glared back.  
  
"I don't know. Should we help someone who's going to be rude to us, Kurama?" he asked.  
  
"Hiei, quit it. Of course we'll help," said Kurama. He took out one of his roses and stuck it in the lock of the manacle holding the boy up. It broke, and he undid the other one, freeing him. "What's your name?" he asked.  
  
"Tristan."  
  
"Well, Tristan, we've been, well, sent here by a friend of ours. She's very eager to see all three of you alive, so here we are," explained Kurama.  
  
"You talking about Tea?" asked Tristan.  
  
"Umm, no..."  
  
"Is she ok?"  
  
"Yes, she's fine, I assure you."  
  
"Good. So, who sent you?" asked Tristan suspiciously.  
  
"Her name is Tori," said Hiei smartly, "Perhaps you know her..."  
  
"Tori? You serious?" asked Tristan. "That girl wants us alive? She's STILL alive?"  
  
"Yes, she is. Very MUCH alive," said Hiei angrily.  
  
"Well, we thought that, with those powers of hers, she'd kill herself with them eventually," he snickered. Hiei was in his face in a split second.  
  
"Tori's quite capable of handling her powers, thank you," he snarled.  
  
"Oh, really? Last time I checked she couldn't control that ligress-thingy of hers! It was like her Hulk. Always came out whenever she threw the smallest hissy-fit," smirked Tristan.  
  
"Well, apparently you haven't checked with her recently. She and the ligress are just fine. They work like a team, now," snapped Hiei.  
  
"Hiei, this really isn't the time..." started Kurama.  
  
"Quiet!"  
  
"Sheesh, if you were nicer to your friends, maybe you'd have more," said Tristan.  
  
"First off, you don't even know how many friends I have, second, why don't you go MAKE some friends, and then you can talk to me about mine," said Hiei smartly. Tristan glared.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
The other two boys groaned and moved. Kurama approached them warily. If they were anything like this other one, he and Hiei would be having a lot of trouble.  
  
"Wha...where am I?" asked the boy with the messy blonde hair. He turned to see his companion. "Yug? You awake?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah...I'm awake, and now I wish I wasn't. My head hurts like crap," moaned Yugi, opening his eyes to see Kurama in front of him, with Hiei and Tristan looking like they were about to kill each other, giving one another death glares.  
  
"I'd like to see you take me on," said Tristan threateningly.  
  
"You don't know who the hell who you're messing with, do you?"  
  
"I could care less. No one disses me like that!"  
  
"Listen, you big oaf, I'd kill you in the blink of an eye right now, if I wasn't trying to help a friend here," snapped Hiei.  
  
"You'd better listen, Tristan, Hiei's pretty fast," warned Kurama, turning to the fighting pair.  
  
"Yeah, right."  
  
At that instant, Hiei was at his throat, his sword pressed against the skin, giving a glare filled with hatred.  
  
"Kurama's right. I've fought more demons than there are thugs in this city, so you'd better watch your back, got it?"  
  
Tristan growled. Hiei withdrew, putting his sword in its sheath and hiding it in his cloak. Yugi had been watching with worry for his friend.  
  
"Umm..." he looked at Kurama, "can you let us down? My hands hurt."  
  
"Oh, right, sorry," said Kurama, unlocking their manacles with his rose. Joey gave him strange looks.  
  
"What kind of guy uses roses? You gay or something?" he asked. Kurama stared at him with a perplexed look, while Hiei rolled his eyes.  
  
"It's his weapon of choice. Rose thorns are quite deadly when used the right way," hinted Hiei. Joey took it, and shut up. "He's not gay, either," added Hiei as an afterthought.  
  
"Sorry, I just thought..."  
  
"Joey, don't think, it gets us in trouble," joked Tristan. Joey glared.  
  
"Anyway, who are you two?" asked Yugi.  
  
"I'm Kurama, and that's Hiei. And what are your names?"  
  
"I'm Yugi, you've obviously met Tristan, and this is Joey," said Yugi, gesturing to the blonde next to him. "What're you doing in this part of the city? No one ever comes down here."  
  
"We're actually here because of a girl Tristan claims you three know. Her name is Tori."  
  
Yugi froze on the spot. Joey looked at him.  
  
"T-Tori?"  
  
"Umm, yes."  
  
Yugi looked to the floor, apparently thinking. Joey turned to them.  
  
"She's alive?"  
  
"Yes," said Hiei with a rather annoyed tone.  
  
"Like I said, we thought she and the ligress would kill each other," said Tristan with a snicker. Hiei shut him up with a warning glare.  
  
"Listen, we're on other business. You three were only part of the reason we're here. Now that you're free, maybe you can fill us in on a friend of ours. Have you seen a girl of about fifteen, with black hair and brown eyes?"  
  
"Nope, we've been out since a few days ago," said Joey, checking the date on his watch. "And boy, am I starved!"  
  
"That'll have to wait, Joey," said Yugi. He turned back to the demons. "Where is she? Tori, I mean," he asked.  
  
Hiei stepped up defensively.  
  
"She...got kidnapped..."  
  
"What? Not by Marik, right?" asked Yugi worriedly.  
  
"No, not by him. He's the one who got that girl we described earlier. Tori was kidnapped by a guy in a silver limousine," said Hiei.  
  
"We've gotta find her!" said Yugi.  
  
"First things first, where's Kagome?" asked Kurama urgently.  
  
They gave him a questioning look. "The girl we described. That's her name," said Kurama hurriedly.  
  
"We told you, we've been out for a few days. If Marik's gotten any new slaves, we won't have known about them," said Yugi.  
  
"Slaves?"  
  
"Whoever he kidnaps, he puts under mind control with his Millennium Rod. Most likely this girl Kagome's his newest puppet," Yugi explained. Kurama's eyes widened with worry. 'Kagome...' he thought.  
  
They searched the warehouse, Kurama insisting that Hiei stay with him and Tristan stay with Joey. Kagome, Marik and Odion were nowhere to be found.  
  
"You three had better come with us. We have no idea where Kagome is, but maybe we can find Tori," said Kurama. Hiei looked at him with annoyance.  
  
"We have to bring that oaf? He replaces Kuwabara altogether. Not even he's that rude," he said. Kurama sighed.  
  
"Don't be difficult about this, Hiei. The sooner we find both of them, the sooner we can stop whatever is going on here, got it?"  
  
Hiei reluctantly agreed. They went out of the warehouse to find Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan.  
  
They found Botan fiddling with her detector.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Kurama.  
  
"It's funny. I picked up the use of one of the artifacts nearby, but then it vanished. I can't trace it. So did that signal you were looking for," she explained. She looked behind them at the three new boys. "Why, hello there!" she said. They looked at her like she was crazy.  
  
"What's with the blue hair? And PINK eyes? Please tell me that's dye and contacts!" laughed Joey. Botan frowned at him.  
  
"Don't mess with her, either," said Kurama boredly.  
  
"And why not? Is she gonna slit my throat?" asked Tristan.  
  
"I'm the Grim Reaper, but you can call me Botan!" she said cheerfully, trying to be nice. Now they REALLY thought she was crazy.  
  
"Okay...so where's your skeleton face and black cloak?"  
  
"Oh, goodness me...that's SO overrated of people!" said Botan, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Okay, back to business," said Kurama. "We're heading back to KaibaCorp, Botan. We've still got to find Yusuke and Kuwabara."  
  
"They're having a trash can war over in that alley three houses down," said Botan in a bored manner.  
  
Almost as if in answer, a large clang was heard, followed by, "I WIN!! HAHA! THAT'S THE THIRD TIME NOW!!" in Yusuke's voice.  
  
"No way! You cheated! How could I have known you were behind me?"  
  
"You're supposed to use your stupid ears, moron!"  
  
The group headed over to find Kuwabara pulling a trash can off himself. Yusuke had a pole in one hand. Apparently, he'd crammed the can over Kuwabara and banged it with the pole to make it ring.  
  
"Idiots..." muttered Hiei.  
  
"At least they can keep themselves entertained," said Kurama with a sweat drop.  
  
They walked to the nearest bus stop, and jumped on a bus to KaibaCorp. As soon as they got off, though, their search was over as people were crowded around an area. They walked up to see Kaiba standing in front of the large building. A figure cloaked in royal blue stood next to him. A black car was parked across from him. In front of it stood none other than Odion, accompanied by a figure cloaked in black.  
  
(A/N: For this scene, imagine Bring Me to Life, by Evanescence, playing as background music)  
  
"Kaiba, I have come for your Egyptian God Card!" declared Odion, holding the Millennium Rod in his left hand. (If you watch the show, remember, it's a fake! ~.O)  
  
Yugi tried to peer into the car behind him. The windows were filled with blackness, he couldn't see into it.  
  
"You'll have to fight my friend here if you want it so badly," said Kaiba, gesturing to the figure.  
  
"Fine. How about your friend fights my mind slave?" asked Odion, pointing to his companion.  
  
"Done. Get them!" Kaiba called out. The figure leapt onto the floor, giving a low growl.  
  
"Go, my puppet!" cried Odion. Inside the car, the real Millennium Rod went to work as the black came out to greet its opponent.  
  
Immediately, the two went at it, with punches and kicks so fiercely matched, you'd think the two had sparred together to practice.  
  
Soon, after realizing the punches weren't doing too much, Kaiba issued a deadly order.  
  
"Bring out the claws!" he called. Hiei's eyes widened as the blue held its hands out, and flexed them, revealing long, deadly claws in place of the fingernails.  
  
"It...can't be..." he muttered to himself. Yugi was thinking the same thing. The two came after each other again, except the blue seemed to move with a lot more dexterity, and it shot forward, dicing through the hood of the black with its claws.  
  
The shreds fell to the ground, and Kurama's eyes widened with horror.  
  
Kagome stood there, staring emptily at her opponent as it prepared to strike again. Her black hair fell gently to her shoulders as she just barely missed the next attack.  
  
"Kagome!" cried Kurama, about to run out to her, but Hiei grabbed him by the arms.  
  
"She can't hear you! She'll kill you!" he argued.  
  
"I've...gotta help her, though..." said Kurama helplessly as he watched his beautiful Kagome nearly getting killed by this stranger.  
  
Unknown to him, when he'd called out to her, Kagome's sleeping mind had stirred for a minute, before the Rod's power took over again.  
  
"Puppet! Show this coward your true power!" called Odion, tossing a green bow to Kagome. She nodded blankly at him, turning back to the blue.  
  
"You...shall...die," she muttered. She drew the string of the bow, and an arrow appeared, seeming to come straight out of the sunlight.  
  
"Kurama!" hissed Botan, pulling on his sleeve.  
  
"Don't, Botan. He's worried sick right now," said Hiei. "What is it?"  
  
"That's a demon artifact!" she whispered. "The Hyper Bow!"  
  
Hiei's eyes widened as he turned back to the battle scene. The arrow shot, with deadly accuracy towards the blue. It jumped at the last minute, leaping much too high for normal human capacity, before landing on the other side of the ground. This gave the priestess more than enough time to fill the next light arrow with her power, and she fired again. The arrow was now yellow and pink striped as it shot towards its target, which was just landing.  
  
The blue tried to move, but the arrow moved, too, and shot straight through its hood, shredding it.  
  
Now it was Hiei's turn to try to run out. Standing there was none other than Tori, the same lifeless shadows in her gaze.  
  
"Oh, dear!" cried Botan. "They're best friends, they shouldn't be fighting like this! This isn't human, it's DISGUSTING!" she cried, hiding her face. Meanwhile, Kuwabara and Yusuke were both trying to restrain the two demons that were fighting to get to the girls and stop them.  
  
"They're gonna kill each other!" yelled Hiei. "We've gotta do something, you idiots! Let me go!"  
  
Yugi started to rush forward, but Joey held him back.  
  
"No way, man. You'll be destroyed," he said. Yugi's shoulders slumped as he watched painfully as Tori got hit in her right leg by one of Kagome's arrows. She staggered, for a second returning to normal, but she was soon back under the Blade's power. Joey and Tristan dragged Yugi away from the fight, and vanished into the crowd.  
  
"Tori, get out your creature! Have it destroy all of them!" cried Kaiba.  
  
"Yes...master..." replied Tori, leaping on top of the hanging of the KaibaCorp entrance and holding her arms out. The normally sunny day was suddenly turned dark as storm clouds were conjured up by the fury of the ligress's power. Lightning flashed as she let out her battle cry, and the girl fully transformed into the powerful cat.  
  
People screamed and ran for it as she leapt gracefully, landing lightly on the battleground on all fours, facing her opponent with a deadly snarl, her ears back. Rain began pouring down instantly, soaking the battlefield.  
  
Kagome shot again, conjuring another arrow, and the ligress easily evaded it, leaping at the girl, knocking her down with a swipe of her mighty claws, pinning her to the ground with a muscular paw.  
  
The mind slave stared into the ligress's face, and lightning flashed again and thunder rolled as the big cat let out a victory roar, water dripping off her fangs.  
  
Kagome suddenly heard the familiar cry, the voice,  
  
"Kagome! Wake up!" It was Kurama. In her head, she heard another.  
  
'Kagome! Can you hear me?'  
  
"Wha..."  
  
'Use that extra arrow you made! You've gotta kill me! Before all these people die!'  
  
"Tori?"  
  
'My ligress is out of control! Kaiba's unleashed her completely! Please! I'm asking you as a friend! Kill me! It's the only way to stop her!'  
  
"But..."  
  
'Do it now!'  
  
"Tori...I can't..."  
  
'Yes, you...'  
  
"No, you don't get it, Tori. You can stop her yourself. I seriously can't. She's got my arm pinned down."  
  
Suddenly, a huge force came, knocking the ligress off, just before she sank her fangs into Kagome's throat.  
  
Kagome fully opened her eyes. Kurama was in the ligress's place, standing protectively over her. Yusuke was on his back, a bruise starting to form on his eye. "Kurama..." she muttered weakly. Kurama knelt down, clasping her hands in his, and closing his eyes tightly.  
  
"Kagome...if I die protecting you...so be it...but I won't allow you to be killed so outright like that. I'll be killed first!" he declared through gritted teeth, pulling her into his arms, shielding her from the furious animal behind them. Kagome rested her head wearily on his shoulder.  
  
"Kurama..." she muttered again.  
  
The ligress roared angrily, irate to be disturbed from her kill. She leapt for the couple, when a black bullet collided with her, sending her off course. She landed on her feet, staring daggers at her new opponent. Hiei stood between her and Kurama and Kagome.  
  
"Tori, control it," he said calmly. Tori cried out to him.  
  
'Hiei! Please! Kagome wouldn't do it, so I'm asking you; you've got to destroy me. The ligress will go with me if you do!'  
  
"Not a chance, Tori. You and the ligress are a team. She's under his mind control, carrying out his orders, which were to destroy us. If you can free her from him, she'll stop. I will not kill you. I won't!" he said defiantly.  
  
The ligress snarled and leapt for him, claws extended. Hiei disappeared, and reappeared across the area. "You can do it, Tori," he whispered. He stood firm as the ligress approached him, utmost death in her eyes. He closed his eyes tightly as it came within striking distance.  
  
It approached until it was so close, Hiei could feel its power, and anger.  
  
He held his ground. He wasn't running away. He trusted Tori.  
  
The ligress opened her mouth, fangs ready to strike. Kaiba watched with utmost interest.  
  
"She's gonna kill him..." he muttered. Suddenly, the powerful body started trembling. It wouldn't go any farther. It backed away from Hiei, shaking its head.  
  
"S...STOP IT!!!!" cried Tori's voice out of the ligress's throat. The cat regained control for only a moment more, as it leapt for Hiei, claws out; it dug them into his shoulder, flinging him to the ground, tearing the skin. The cat let out one last mighty roar, collapsed, and, slowly, became an exhausted girl again.  
  
Odion quickly turned and climbed back into the car, driving away. Kaiba turned and left as Kurama and Kagome turned to see both of their friends lying on the ground, blood seeping from each.  
  
"Tori...Hiei..." gasped Kagome, standing to walk over to them. Tori's leg was gashed from her arrow, and Hiei's shoulder was a mess. Trembling violently, Kagome fell to her knees. Kurama came over to her, wrapping her in his arms as he stared sadly at his lifelong friend, and the new one he had gotten to know so well. They stood, and Kurama noticed Kagome's forearm.  
  
"Kagome, she got you," he said. The cuts weren't very deep. Taking another painful look at their fallen friends, the two walked back to the other three. Rain continued to pour, thunder rumbled. (NOT THE END OF THE STORY!!!!)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Tori the Hanyou: NO! THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY!!!!!!!!! They've still gotta get all the artifacts, DUH!!! Lol! Well, that's about the saddest chappie I've ever written. Well, had to be done! Tee hee! Well, cya guys next chappie! The preview should make you feel better (hint, hint):  
  
CHAPTER TITLE PREVIEW: Alive 


	13. Alive

Tori the Hanyou: Ok! I really wanna get on with this next chappie! So please hang in there!  
  
DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, YuGiOh, or Inuyasha.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 13: Alive  
  
Wincing from the pain in his shoulder, Hiei opened his eyes. The area was flooded with water. He lifted his head, and saw the girl laying a ways away. He crawled over to her, gritting his teeth angrily for letting this pain hinder him. He spoke softly to her.  
  
"Tori? Tori, say something."  
  
Tori heard the voice; it seemed to come from far away. She opened her eyes with great difficulty, and saw the demon kneeling next to her.  
  
"Hiei..." She tried to sit up, but fell again. Hiei held out his good arm, catching her and drawing her close.  
  
"Don't move, your leg's badly hurt," he whispered. Tori looked up at him. His face was wrought with pain. She looked for the source of it, and gasped. His shoulder was ripped open.  
  
"Hiei...your shoulder...those are...my claw marks..." she whispered with horror. "Oh, Hiei, I've hurt you! After you trusted me to take control of the ligress, and I...I let you down! Hiei!" She buried her face in his shoulder, her warm tears mixing with the cold rainwater pouring down her face. "How could I?"  
  
"Tori...it wasn't your fault," reassured Hiei quietly.  
  
"Yes, it is! I did that! I couldn't stop her! You trusted me!" she sobbed.  
  
"Tori, stop it," Hiei ordered, a stern tone to his voice. Tori looked up at his face, silencing herself, but still making a small gulp every now and then. He was giving her one of his stares. "It's not your fault. I want you to stop beating yourself up for not stopping the ligress in time. Not many people would even be able to stop her at all. I'm...proud of you, Tori," he said softly.  
  
The look in his eyes made Tori believe him. She relaxed, resting her head on his shoulder as the rain continued to pour.  
  
Kurama looked back up from under the awning they'd found for shelter. He noticed not two bodies lying flat, but one cradling the other, sitting up.  
  
"Kagome, look," he said, nudging her from her doze in his arms. Her face was tearstained from Tori's downfall, but she looked anyway. She saw them sitting together.  
  
"Oh...my...gosh..." she whispered. "I'm seeing things. Kurama, are they sitting up?"  
  
"It appears so," he said, with a smile. "You just can't destroy those two, no matter what."  
  
Kagome got to her feet, and tried to hurry out to them, but she nearly collapsed from her mental and physical fatigue. Kurama caught her and placed her back on the bench. "You'd better stay here. I'll take Yusuke and go get them." Kagome weakly nodded, and leaned back against the wall, looking at the Hyper Bow that she still clutched in one hand.  
  
Yusuke walked out with Kurama to the couple. "By the way, Yusuke, sorry for roughing you up like that back there," said Kurama, noting the bruise on Yusuke's eye.  
  
"Aw, it's ok. It was for love, anyway. I did something like that for Keiko. Remember how I nearly killed myself in Saint Beast Castle to save her?"  
  
"Yes. You worried us half to death. Good thing Kuwabara was there."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
They approached the two on the ground, who were nearly asleep from their exhaustion. Kurama picked up Hiei, and Yusuke took Tori. They headed back to the awning, telling Botan and Kuwabara to help Kagome back to their hotel. Kuwabara stood, rubbing his nose where Hiei had punched him in his fury to get to Tori.  
  
After getting off the elevator, they headed into their rooms. Kurama was about to take Hiei into the boys' room, and Yusuke was taking Tori to her bed, when Hiei awoke, and reached out weakly to Tori with his good arm. Kurama motioned to Yusuke to bring Tori into the boys' room. He did, and Kurama laid Hiei down on his bed, and Yusuke placed Tori next to him. They covered the two, and went into the girls' room, closing the door behind them.  
  
Hiei immediately moved closer to Tori when they were gone, wrapping her in his embrace, ignoring his shoulder. Tori responded by nuzzling into him, and both quickly slipped into a deep sleep.  
  
Kagome sat on the couch, Botan wrapping her forearm in bandages. Kurama came and sat down next to them, waiting until she was finished.  
  
"There," said Botan, fastening the end. "That'll work. Now, what about Hiei and Tori..."  
  
"We'd better leave them alone until they get some rest. Then we'll tend to their wounds," said Kurama quickly. Botan nodded.  
  
"Hey," she said, "What ever happened to those boys we met? The rude ones?"  
  
"Hmm...not sure. They must've left during Tori and Kagome's battle," said Kurama.  
  
"What boys?" asked Kagome.  
  
"We met those awful boys who caused Tori to run away," said Botan. Kagome's eyes widened.  
  
"You mean...that guy Tori used to be with...her ex?" asked Kagome.  
  
Kurama nodded. "Wait," continued Kagome, "this can't be good. If that guy's here, what about Hiei? What if all that work we did to get him and Tori together'll be for nothing?"  
  
"Don't worry!" said Botan in her usual optimistic mood. "I'm sure Hiei and Tori will work this out with...whoever that guy is."  
  
"I suppose..." said Kagome. She blushed when she felt Kurama against her. She turned to look at him, and he was giving her one of his heart- melting smiles.  
  
"Plus, Kagome," he said quietly, "How can they split apart if they've got us?"  
  
"I agree! You two have got to be one of the most influential couples there is!" said Botan. They gave her a look. "Oh...and it's time to leave! Look at that! My laundry MUST be done by now! Tootles!" She leapt up hurriedly from the couch, and ushered Yusuke and Kuwabara out the door with her, promising she'd let them go and slink around town for a small time while she got her 'laundry'.  
  
Kagome shook her head after them. Kurama was still gazing at her. Meeting his gaze, she stared inquisitively into his emerald orbs.  
  
"You must be exhausted, Kagome," he said quietly after a little bit. Kagome nodded slowly.  
  
"I guess so..." she responded.  
  
"You'd better lie down," continued Kurama.  
  
"Um, okay." She got up from the couch, and went over to her bed, lying down on it. Kurama sat down next to her, gently stroking her cheek.  
  
Kagome watched him for a time, and his green eyes just seemed to go deeper the more she looked at them. Soon, she'd become lost in them, and drowned in the warm feeling she got from his gaze. It wasn't long before she felt both arms around her and a body lying next to hers. She and Kurama drifted away into sleep.  
  
*A couple of hours later*...  
  
Tori snapped awake to a high-pitched voice calling her. She nearly forgot about Hiei, and tried to sit up, triggering his possessive instincts. His arms nearly constricted her to keep her down, and she could barely breathe enough to speak.  
  
"Hiei! Hiei, you're choking me!" she gasped. Hearing her, he awoke, jumping at what he was doing, and immediately let her go. Catching her breath, Tori sat up, blushing as she remembered where she was. She looked to see Botan rushing in the door, still practically yelling her name. "What is it, Botan?" she asked irritably. Hiei glared, rolling his eyes as the blue- haired girl came flying into the boys' room, out of breath.  
  
"Tori! Tori, it's those boys! They're back!" she exclaimed.  
  
Still slightly asleep, Tori started to think she was dreaming.  
  
"What? What boys?"  
  
"Your friends...oh, what were their names...Joey, I remember, Triton, Tristan, one or the other, and the other guy, I think his name began with a Y or something..."  
  
"Joey, Tristan, and Yugi?" asked Tori suspiciously.  
  
"Oh, yes! That was it!" said Botan. Tori's eyes widened, and fell to the floor.  
  
"You found them?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, and that Yugi character was quite eager to know your whereabouts," continued Botan.  
  
"I bet he was," Tori said quietly. Hiei looked at her. The pain had returned, and her angry gaze was back, too. She sat up, putting on her shoes. Forgetting about her leg, she toppled to the floor. Hiei watched her with worry as she struggled to stand up.  
  
"Um, I think we'd better bandage that up," said Botan after watching her. "You, too, Hiei. Both of you are a mess! Come on!" She helped Tori up and over to the boys' couch, and Hiei followed, his shoulder striking a memory chord.  
  
After finishing with Tori's leg, Botan turned to Hiei's shoulder. An idea suddenly flashed into Hiei's head, and he stopped her.  
  
"I think Tori needs to do this," he said, smirking in Tori's direction. Tori blushed, and Botan looked at him with slight puzzlement, before he gave her a look.  
  
"Oh, right! Of course!" she said. "Well, I guess I could just go shopping or something! Now don't be too long, Tori. And don't forget to go speak to your friends!" She hurried out the door, leaving poor Tori alone with Hiei.  
  
Tori glared at him as she took the wet cloth and started cleaning his wound. Hiei just sat there, that sly smile on his face the whole time. He could see her trying to hide the tinges of pink on her face, and he finally spoke when she was nearly finished cleaning.  
  
"Don't tell me you're not enjoying this," he muttered. Tori looked as if she was ignoring him. He raised an eyebrow at her. Tori finished off with the cleaning, and stood to put the bloodstained rag in the sink in the bathroom. She hopped on one leg all the way there, dropping the rag in the sink and filling it with warm water. She came back in, and sat down next to him again, and began wrapping his shoulder. She was as gentle as possible, though she doubted if she could ever have caused Hiei to flinch. Tori noticed him close his eyes, and he seemed to relax. When she'd finished and tied the bandage securely, she stood on her good leg.  
  
"I'm gonna go see my friends now," she said.  
  
"Fine, but I'm coming with you," said Hiei quickly.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Hiei froze. He wasn't about to say that he was suspicious of her friends; that would get her angry.  
  
"You need someone to help you walk," he said simply. Tori nodded, and reluctantly let him put one arm around her waist, while she looped hers around his shoulders, being careful of his injured one. They walked out into the hallway, heading down towards the elevators, when she heard a voice that made her heart stop.  
  
"Long time no see, Tori." She turned her head to see the three boys she had run away from standing in the hallway. She distinctly felt Hiei's arm tighten around her. For the most part, she was slightly grateful he'd offered to come.  
  
"Um, hi guys," she said. She avoided Yugi's eyes, knowing full well what he was capable of if he had eye contact, though she could feel the heat of his gaze on her. Hiei gave a slight glare at the three boys. Yugi walked forward, telling Joey and Tristan to leave. He obviously expected Tori to dismiss Hiei, but it didn't come.  
  
"Do you mind?" he asked the demon. Hiei's glare increased.  
  
"Yes, I do," he responded coldly. Tori could definitely sense invisible sparks flying. She turned into Hiei's good shoulder to try to make him quit it.  
  
Hiei sensed her urgency, and took his attention off his new unofficial rival to see if she was alright. She wasn't, especially not with Yugi boring into her with his eyes.  
  
"Tori, could I speak to you alone?" asked Yugi.  
  
"No," snapped Hiei.  
  
"I think I asked her," Yugi snapped back. Tori looked from one to the other, and sensed a deep feeling of hate from each of them. Yugi turned to her. "Who is this guy?" he asked.  
  
"My name is Hiei," said the demon with pride.  
  
"Hiei, huh? What the hell are you doing with my girl?" asked Yugi. Tori forgot all pain in her leg as she angrily tried to attack him. Hiei was the only thing between her and the source of her fury.  
  
"Don't you...DARE...call me yours...you insensitive...freaky...wacko jerk!" she gasped out from pain and the effort of trying to free herself from Hiei. Yugi took a step toward her, but Hiei gave him a warning glance, stopping him. Tori stopped, too, but continued to glare at him. Yugi seemed unaffected by her words. He was giving her a steady look. Once more, Tori kept away from eye contact.  
  
"You fear me," said Yugi in a low voice. "You're afraid of my power. You know what I can do, don't you, Tori?" Tori withdrew from him, burying herself in Hiei's arms.  
  
Hiei once more stood in front of her, shielding her from this threat. Yugi gave him the threatening glare, and Hiei confronted it with his own fierce look.  
  
"Tori doesn't truly fear anyone," he growled. Yugi smirked.  
  
"That's where you're wrong. Didn't you hear me? Look at her. She's terrified by my very presence."  
  
"She's in pain is what it is. If her leg wasn't hurt, I'm sure not even I could stop her from tearing you to bits," snapped Hiei.  
  
Yugi kept that look on his face as he stalked toward the elevators.  
  
"This isn't over...Tori," he said, his gaze and tone turning evilly seductive. Tori tried to shut out his voice, but her ears wouldn't quit hearing things. When Yugi was gone, Hiei turned to Tori, worried. She was trembling furiously, and he could hear sobs.  
  
He didn't know what to do. For the first time in his life, Hiei felt at a loss for actions. All he could do was wrap Tori in his arms and take her back to the room.  
  
He set her on the couch, and cradled her in his embrace. Tori was grateful for the small comfort, but her mind was lost amid horrid memories and Yugi's voice echoing through her head. Hiei had an idea to help, but he needed her to calm down. Gently, he took her off his lap, and rubbed the area on her neck underneath her ear. Slowly but surely, Tori's sobs quieted, and she started to relax.  
  
Hiei waited until she was fully calm before he called on the power of his Jagan Eye. He slowly went into her mind, closing his eyes.  
  
He found her on the floor of her chamber, and she was definitely a wreck. After seeing what the problem was, he came forward towards her inner self, and using his Eye, cast a sleep charm.  
  
When he'd come out, sure enough, Tori was sinking into the couch, slowly falling under his spell. He gently stroked her hair, taking her tightly in his arms again. She was soon fast asleep. He put a mental barrier around her as well, so that Yugi couldn't haunt her with any nightmares. He rested his head on top of hers, feeling her snuggle into his neck sleepily. Smirking softly, he drifted off to sleep.  
  
Kagome awoke to a boom of thunder. She looked outside to see that the rainstorm had become a rather violent thunderstorm. She sighed, getting a feeling of content, as the world outside was cold and wet, and she was inside, warmly snuggled in the arms of one of the dreamiest guys she had ever met. Her heaven couldn't possibly be any more perfect. She saw Kurama's sleeping face, and sighed happily.  
  
Kurama awoke to Kagome's sigh, and opened his eyes to see her looking out the window. He noticed the thunderstorm, too, and watched the girl in his arms with the utmost serenity. He wasn't sure how he'd come across her, but Kagome had become the girl of his dreams. She was beautiful, kind, cheerful, and tended to get hyper out of the blue. He loved everything about her. He remembered their meeting, Kagome's fiery attitude, her defiance towards Koenma, and her need to help Tori when she was in trouble. He nudged Kagome with his nose, and she turned to look at him.  
  
"Sleep well?" he asked. Kagome nodded sleepily. "It's quite violent out there, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, no thanks to the ligress," said Kagome. Kurama smiled.  
  
"Hey, Kurama?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You never explained to me why you're a half-demon. You said you would after we faced Sesshomaru, remember?" asked Kagome, sitting up. Kurama remembered.  
  
"Oh, right," he said. "Well, I'm not sure if you'll believe me or not..." he said.  
  
"Try me," said Kagome.  
  
Kurama smiled, that was yet another of the things he loved about her.  
  
"Okay, okay. Well, to tell you the truth, I'm actually a lot older than I look. In reality, I used to be known as Yoko Kurama."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened.  
  
"I heard something about him. Yoko's that demon who was a bandit, wasn't he?"  
  
"Yes, he was also very powerful. But, many people sought his life, for a great bounty had been put on him for his death, or proof of it. He came to the human world, and hid himself in the body of a boy named Shuiichi Minamino. That's what my mother calls me. I grew up with him as kind of an alter ego. So, now only a precious few humans know my true name, Kurama. I try to keep a name in each world. In the human world, I'm Shuiichi, but in the demon world, I'm Kurama."  
  
"So, you're not really a hanyou, but you're also not really demon or human..." said Kagome.  
  
"Yes, it's quite confusing. Sometimes I don't even know the difference," said Kurama. "I just refer to myself as half-demon to keep from getting too mixed up."  
  
Kagome giggled. They sat there for a while, listening to the soft rumbles of thunder. Kurama soon noticed the weather getting worse. He didn't care; he was happy where he was. Kagome snuggled up to him more as she noticed the roughening storm outside. They were both nearly asleep, until a huge lightning flash; followed by a practical roar of thunder made them both jump awake.  
  
Tori's eyes shot open at the giant crash. She immediately clung to whomever was holding her in their arms, trying to shut out the noise. When it cleared, she opened her eyes to see Hiei's staring down at her.  
  
"You ok?" he asked worriedly.  
  
"Yeah, just a little jumpy, that's all," replied Tori, sitting up. Her leg definitely felt better now, and she sat up, rubbing her eyes. Hiei saw that his shoulder was almost completely healed, thanks to his demon blood. There were slight white marks where the claws had dug, but he suspected even those would go away soon.  
  
"It's really quiet in here," said Hiei.  
  
"Yeah...I wonder where everyone is?" asked Tori.  
  
"Beats me," said Hiei.  
  
Tori stood, and she found she only had a slight limp, but at least she could walk by herself now. She went to the door leading to the girls' room, and saw Kurama and Kagome looking at her.  
  
"Hey, guys," she said. Kagome smiled and stood up.  
  
"Thank God you're ok, Tori, we thought you and Hiei would be asleep forever," she said.  
  
"Heh, if that storm hadn't woken us, we probably would've," replied Tori.  
  
"It's getting pretty bad out there," reported Kurama. Everyone looked out the window.  
  
"I hope the others are okay," said Kagome as another lightning bolt flashed and thunder rolled.  
  
"I'm sure they are, Kagome. Now, who wants something to eat? I'm starved!" said Tori cheerfully.  
  
Hiei went to the door first, and peered out to make sure Yugi wasn't in the hall. He motioned for them to follow.  
  
They went downstairs into the lobby of the hotel, where dinner was starting to be served.  
  
"Didn't realize it was this late," said Kurama.  
  
"How long were we up there, exactly?" asked Tori.  
  
"No idea, probably a few hours, at the most," responded Hiei.  
  
They went to the dinner buffet and got plates of spaghetti, penne pasta, or whatever they wanted. Hiei, of course, didn't want any of that. He went straight to the ice cream. Kurama shook his head.  
  
"Uh...doesn't Hiei know ice cream's for dessert?" asked Tori as she watched him.  
  
"No, not really," said Kurama with a small smile. Hiei came back with a cone of vanilla and sat down to eat it. Tori looked at her plate of penne pasta with butter sauce.  
  
"Hiei, why are you eating ice cream now?" she asked.  
  
"It's called sweet snow," said Hiei, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Tori gave him a really weird look.  
  
"That's what he likes to call it," explained Kurama. Tori blinked and shook her head. 'Whatever floats his boat,' she thought, and dug in.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Tori the Hanyou: Wow, ok, I'm SO SORRY for not updating earlier! I've just been so out of it! Cheerleading tryouts are this week, and I'm working my poor head off trying to learn the dance and cheer that we need to know for the tryout part.  
  
I also have a few questions about FanFiction. First off, what does AU mean? And also, what's a lime? I know what lemon is, but not lime. Can anyone answer these, please?  
  
Also, there's another matter I'd like to bring to your attention. (Talking fancy are we?) A friend of mine just got a REALLY bad flame on her story, and it talked about her story being a Mary Sue or something (what is that?), and I got a review similar to that a while ago (Don't bother looking, I deleted it). Do you guys really enjoy my story? Or do you just read it to find out what's gonna happen between Kagome and Kurama? I'm not so sure about it anymore, but please tell me.  
  
~*Tori the Hanyou*~ 


	14. New Meetings and More Reunions

Tori the Hanyou: Yup! I'm back! Jaws music plays in background lol, well, I'm sad to report I did NOT make the cheerleading squad, due to the fact that it was my first time, and the coach didn't seem to have room for me or my two friends on the travel thingy, well, enough about me, let's get to the story.  
  
BTW, I hope y'all enjoyed my little fic, Side Quest, I thought it was cute when I wrote it. It's based mostly on Sesshomaru and Rin's relationship (father and daughter) and I kinda based it on Pokemon 3 (if anyone has seen it, you know what I'm talking about). It's a one shot, just an idea I thought up, so those of you who haven't read or reviewed it, plz do! It would make me a happy muffin! - (Hiei: don't ask...)  
  
DISCLAIMER: Nope, don't own anyone or anything, except Tori and the ligress, lol  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 14: New Meetings and More Reunions  
  
After dinner, the two couples headed back upstairs to go to bed. Kurama watched Kagome as she yawned and laid her head on his shoulder as they walked.  
  
"That was good, I already feel sleepy," she said. Kurama smiled softly, wrapping an arm about her waist.  
  
Tori's eyelids drooped. She agreed with Kagome. She felt really tired, and eager to get to bed. She almost didn't notice that they'd reached their door after they got off the elevator, and Hiei had to pick her up to stop her from sleepwalking down the hall. He shook his head, smirking gently at her as he carried her to the bed and laid her down.  
  
Kurama and Kagome were fast asleep as soon as they turned the light off next to their bed, engulfing the room in darkness.  
  
Tori felt the warmth surround her, and she felt happy to embrace the darkness and stay there forever, but it wasn't to be so. Her nose suddenly tingled, as she smelt an unfamiliar scent reach it. She couldn't fully identify the source, not while she was asleep. Her mind felt fuzzy as she struggled to wake herself up and find out what was wrong. But the darkness held her tightly, not wanting her to go.  
  
She gritted her teeth and gave one enormous mental heave, shoving herself out of sleep and sitting straight up, her nose and ears sharply tuned to her surroundings. She scanned the room with her ligress's eyes. Not seeing anyone out of the ordinary, she wondered if perhaps her nose had had one of its little spas attacks, when the scent struck again as the faint breeze from the window on Kagome and Kurama's side of the room blew towards her.  
  
'Demon,' she thought. She gently pulled the covers off, and set her socked feet down silently on the carpet. Using all modes of stealth she knew, she crept through the darkness like a cat, her now golden eyes gleaming with the thrill of the night's hunt.  
  
She stopped near the other couple's bed, sniffing the air, expecting to catch Kagome's lilac scent mixed with Kurama's rose one. That's when her eyes widened. Kurama's scent was gone. She straightened up, peering curiously at where the two slept like rocks, or so she thought. She reached one hand slowly towards the covers, stopping when she saw something twitch. The entire body shifted, and Tori sensed tenseness. She clamped her jaw, and grabbed the covers, yanking.  
  
In a flash, a silver bolt flew out of the bed, facing her, its ears pinned back, and large fangs gleaming.  
  
Tori jumped back, drawing her claws.  
  
"Give it up, demon scum! Where's Kurama??" she declared. The look on the intruder's face softened to normal, or what seemed to be normal. Tori could now see him clearly. He was a fox demon, full fledged, with large, silver fox ears protruding from his head. His long silver hair gleamed in the moonlight, along with his golden eyes, and Tori caught the swish of a silver tail behind him. "Who are you?" she growled. She heard stirring in the bed behind her, and Hiei's voice.  
  
"Tori, do you have to be so loud...oh, hello Yoko," he said calmly, noticing the demon. Tori looked confusedly from him to the demon.  
  
"Yoko? You know this guy?" she asked Hiei. He nodded. "Where's Kurama, then?" asked Tori.  
  
"I am Kurama," said the demon, speaking for the first time. His voice did sound like Kurama's; only it was deeper and huskier.  
  
"You're Kurama? No way, you look nothing like him!" cried Tori. Yoko snickered.  
  
"You should not base your judgments on appearances, it is unwise," he muttered.  
  
"It's him, Tori, it's just his demon form," yawned Hiei. "But I am curious to know, Yoko, why are you here?"  
  
"Shuiichi decided to let me out for a bit, seeing as I was bothering him too much about it," explained the demon, with a matter-of-fact flip of his foxtail.  
  
"Shuiichi?"  
  
"It's Kurama's human name," explained Hiei. "I'll tell you all about it later, but can I go back to sleep now?" Yoko looked curiously from him to Tori.  
  
"Did you finally get yourself a girl, Hiei?" he said, slyness glinting in his treacherous orbs. Hiei glared.  
  
"Watch it, fox, I know where you sleep," he snapped, "come on, Tori." She took one last look at the fox demon as he crawled back into bed with Kagome, before turning and going back to Hiei.  
  
"Hey, Hiei, if you're a demon, what's your form like?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow at her, a glint of mischief in his eyes.  
  
"Do you really wanna know?" he asked, smirking. Tori bit her lip as she noticed his facial expression.  
  
"No, not really, how about we wait until a time when I can take it better?" she asked.  
  
"Hn, suit yourself," said Hiei. Tori put her head on the pillows, blushing slightly as she felt his arms wrap around her from behind. She'd mostly gotten used to it, but it never failed to spark some emotion within her whenever he did it.  
  
Kagome opened her eyes wearily the next morning, and yawned as she snuggled closer to her source of warmth. It moved, and lightly grazed her arms with sharp claws...wait...SHARP CLAWS??? Kagome leapt out of bed wildly, screaming as her first thought was, 'INUYASHA!!'  
  
She heard Tori scream at almost the same time, and soon both were back-to-back, facing the beds they'd been sleeping in as though they were filled with snakes. She paused.  
  
"What's going on, Tori?" she asked.  
  
"Heck if I know," she answered shakily, "I just woke up and...hey, what's wrong with you?"  
  
"Who's in my bed?" asked Kagome stiffly. Tori peered around her friend's shoulder, spying the silver hair and fox ears. She giggled quietly.  
  
"I can understand why YOU were scared," she said, "He DOES look like Inuyasha, doesn't he?" Kagome looked from the figure to her as though she was crazy.  
  
"What're you talking about?? That IS him!" she said. Tori shook her head.  
  
"Look closer."  
  
She didn't need to. The figure stood up, revealing a very frazzled Yoko.  
  
"I see you slept well. Unfortunately, I didn't, now being woken by TWO girls in the same 24 hour period," he said, rubbing one of his ears painfully. Kagome stared like she'd just seen a ghost.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked, frightened. He watched her calmly.  
  
"I am Yoko, Shuiichi's demon form," he responded calmly. Kagome felt her fear slowly dissolve as she relaxed a bit.  
  
"Kurama told me about you. Thank God you're not who I thought you were," she said with relief.  
  
"You mean that half-demon? Of course not," snickered Yoko. "Shuiichi decided I should get to know you as well, seeing as it was me who sparked his interest in you that night a long time ago," explained Yoko. Kagome smiled at him.  
  
"Well, thank you," she said calmly. He nodded.  
  
Tori watched them curiously for a while, until she once more heard the reason she'd woken up in a fright.  
  
"Ok, ok, that's all well and good, but can anyone tell me who THAT is??" she asked, pointing to her bed, where Hiei's black hair poked above the blankets. Kagome looked at it.  
  
"It's Hiei," she said simply. Tori shook her head.  
  
"No, it's not," she responded, backing away from the bed.  
  
"Sure looks like him," said Kagome.  
  
"All you're seeing is the hair," said Tori. Suddenly, the figure moved, and the blankets shifted, revealing part of Hiei's face. Tori went pale. "No, that is DEFINITELY not him!" she said. She was right, partially. Hiei's skin appeared to have turned green.  
  
"Oh, I know who that is..." said Yoko quietly. Tori faced him.  
  
"Well?" Yoko smirked.  
  
"You find out for yourself. Foxes don't tell secrets," he said sagely, swishing his tail to complete his statement. Tori rolled her eyes.  
  
"Some help you are," she muttered. She turned back to where Hiei slept, and she inched slowly towards him, freezing as he growled softly. "I can't do this," she muttered quickly.  
  
"Oh, just go already, you're boring me," said Yoko. Tori glared.  
  
"Then you do it, fox!" she snapped. He chuckled.  
  
"Just like Hiei..." he muttered, shaking his head. Tori turned around, and gently grasped the blankets, but a flash scared her near to death, and even made Kagome gasp.  
  
A green hand clutched Tori's wrist, a clawed hand, and she was frozen to the spot as none other than Hiei's demon form sat up in the blankets. She trembled on the spot, staring straight at his revealed Jagan Eye.  
  
"H-Hiei?" she asked quietly. He smirked, standing up. Tori could see him clearly now. On his hands were two open eyes, the same color as the eye on his forehead. "What are those?" she asked, gesturing to his Jagan, and the two eyes on his hands.  
  
"There's more where that came from," Hiei spoke for the first time, his voice deeper.  
  
"Amazing you haven't shown her your true form yet, Hiei," came Yoko's voice from behind them. Kagome had been frozen to the spot at Hiei's transformation, as well.  
  
"What do you mean more?" asked Tori, ignoring Yoko. Before she could take it back, Hiei had removed his shirt, displaying the eyes that covered his upper body, every single one focused on her.  
  
Despite his cool attitude, Hiei's heart was pounding on the inside. What if she rejected him? What if she didn't like him because of his demon form? 'She's just staring at me...' he thought, 'what's wrong?'  
  
Tori's expression changed from shock to wonder. "Hiei, I agree with Yoko. Why didn't you show me this before?" she asked. Hiei felt confused. Was she upset? Disappointed? He couldn't bring himself to ask, at least not until they were alone...  
  
It seemed Yoko read his mind, and the fox swiftly swept Kagome out of the room and onto the balcony to give the other couple some privacy.  
  
'Hn, thanks,' he spoke telepathically to the other demon.  
  
'Of course,' responded Yoko.  
  
Hiei turned to Tori.  
  
"Well, now you see me as I truly am," he said. Tori nodded. Hiei tried to read the emotion in her eyes to soothe his upturned feelings, but she'd learned well from him, and kept it hidden... 'Damn me and my influence,' he thought. "So, what do you think?" he blurted. To part of his relief, Tori smiled.  
  
"I'm just a LITTLE cheesed that you kept this from me for so long," she started, leaving him at a cliffhanger, "but other than that..." She wrapped her arms around his neck, "who WOULDN'T want a demon for a boyfriend, especially one as cool-looking as you?" Hiei nearly felt his insides go to pieces with relief. She liked it!  
  
He sighed quietly.  
  
"I'm glad you do. I was worried for a minute you'd reject me," he said, expecting her to stay quiet, but as we all know, with Tori this is never the case.  
  
"Why would you think I'd turn you down? Didn't I say I love you?" she asked. He nodded.  
  
"Yes, but that was before you knew what my demon form looked like," he said.  
  
"That would've been really shallow of me to say I love you, then see you for who you are, and then dump you on the spot," responded Tori, "I'm shocked you would think that of me," she said in mock hurt. Hiei smiled, embracing her.  
  
"I'm just glad you're not one of those people," he whispered into her ear. Tori smiled, hugging him back.  
  
"Yeah, you'd better be, there seem to be a lot of them these days," she said jokingly. She'd admit, at first she'd been surprised at Hiei's appearance, but when she closed her eyes as he held her close, it still felt the same, especially the heartbeat.  
  
After Yoko had changed back to Kurama, and Hiei had transformed back to normal, everyone got ready to go locate the Demonic Blade and retrieve it from Kaiba as soon as possible.  
  
Tori and Kagome snuck in and gave Botan and the other boys a VERY rude awakening. They jumped on the beds, yelling right in their ears,  
  
"GOOD MOOOOOORNING!!"  
  
Botan responded wearily,  
  
"Five more minutes..."  
  
Kuwabara was just waking from a 'dream',  
  
"NOO! BUNNIES! DON'T LEAVE ME!!!!"  
  
And Yusuke followed up with the New York Hello,  
  
"GO TO HELL!!"  
  
So, the two resorted to pillow pounding, which somehow got the lazy bums up.  
  
Later...much...  
  
"I can't believe it took you FORTY MINUTES to get out of bed!" said Tori to Yusuke as they walked down the street towards KaibaCorp. He ignored her, responding with a mere huff. Tori rolled her eyes. 'City boys...' she thought with exasperation.  
  
"We're almost there," reported Kurama. Everyone set their minds on their next task, getting the Demonic Blade away from the richest, snootiest guy in the city.  
  
They walked down the street, watching as numbers of duelists went at it, fiercely clashing with their most powerful creatures. Tori kept her duel disk out of view. She was supposed to wear it as tournament rules, but she really didn't have the time to duel anyone. She kept her eyes out as well for any Rare Hunters. After her and Kagome's little episode, she really didn't want to meet up with any.  
  
Kagome frequently stopped to watch with immense curiosity as the gruesome monsters fought and battled. Trap Cards were activated, and Magic Cards increased the creatures' power (or decreased it). It looked very complicated, especially after seeing one of the really experienced duelists perform an extremely difficult combo.  
  
She looked closely at the one who'd just pulled off the expert move.  
  
"Hey, guys!" she called. They turned to look at her. She pointed to the duelist. "Haven't we met him?" she asked. They looked, and Tori's eyes widened.  
  
"Bakura," she said. They watched as he incinerated his opponent with a blast from his now totally souped up Shadow Ghoul.  
  
"Guess that's the end of the duel for you," came Bakura's voice, and Tori gasped. That didn't belong to him at all! He walked over to his defeated opponent, who handed over a locator card, and the rarest card in his deck.  
  
Curiously, Tori approached him, and tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Bakura?" she asked. He turned to face her, his expression completely normal, until he recognized her.  
  
"Tori!" he exclaimed, "I can't believe it! It's you!" Tori raised an eyebrow in confusion. What happened to the creepy voice he'd had before?  
  
"Um, yeah, it's me," she said, still dazed. Bakura looked at her oddly.  
  
"What's the matter?" he asked. She shook her head.  
  
"Nothing! Uh, great duel," she said, "You totally schooled that guy!" Bakura smiled, but Tori could see it wasn't a real one.  
  
"Thank you...I guess..." he said, looking with newfound curiosity at the cards he held in his hand. His expression seemed to say he'd never seen them before. It wasn't long before Tori heard more familiar voices coming through the crowd.  
  
"Bakura! There you are!" cried one of them. Tori peered around the boy's shoulder to see the other four emerge from the crowd that had watched the duel. Duke walked up and hit Bakura in the back. "Good job, man!" The other three had stopped, dead still.  
  
Kagome came through the crowd to see Tori standing with the duelist, and a guy she'd never seen before. Behind them was a small group of three girls.  
  
"Hey, aren't they the kids we saw in the aquarium?" asked Kuwabara. Kurama nodded.  
  
"Yes, they are," he said quietly. Hiei kept his eyes fixed on Tori, as one of the girls let out a small cry and ran towards her.  
  
"Tori!" Before the girl could react, Tea had nearly tackled her in a hug. Tori's stare had soon turned into a choked up smile, and she embraced her friend back. The other two came up and joined the small reunion.  
  
"Serenity! Mai!" said Tori happily. When they broke apart, all four girls had slight tears.  
  
"We thought we'd never see you again!" said Serenity.  
  
"Yeah, don't EVER scare us like that again!" said Mai. Tori nodded,  
  
"I'll try not to," she said. She heard her other friends come up behind her, and Tea, Serenity and Mai stared.  
  
"Tori? Who are they?" came Kagome's voice. Tori turned to see Kagome had a questioning look. Botan came up as well, but she, for once, stood silent.  
  
"They're my friends, Kagome," she said.  
  
"But, didn't you say...um...never mind," responded Kagome.  
  
Duke and Bakura approached the newcomers.  
  
"Hey, we know you," said Duke, pointing to Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara. The girls turned around, and recognition dawned on three of their faces.  
  
"Yeah, we met you in the aquarium!" said Tea. She looked at Tori. "Do you know them?" Tori nodded, as did Kagome.  
  
"We're stuck with them," said Kagome in a fake half-hearted voice. Tori giggled. Mai then noticed the chokers.  
  
"Ooo, Tori, I like the accessory!" she said, pointing to Tori's neck. Tori reached up and touched it. She'd almost completely forgotten about it. "You both have one!" Mai continued. Kagome nodded, and looked at Tori, who shook her head. They'd tell them about the collar effect later. Tea nudged Tori.  
  
"You're actually STUCK with those guys?" she whispered, "Heck, I'd PAY to be stuck with those three!" she pointed to Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei.  
  
"Sorry to break it to you, but all three are taken," whispered Kagome. Tea's expression sank.  
  
"Oh, well," she whispered back, "I already have Tristan." Kagome looked from her to Tori, confused.  
  
"Yeah, Tristan, the same guy I was talking about," said Tori. Botan spoke up.  
  
"How could you like him?" she asked. Tea giggled.  
  
"I know he tends to be rude, but he's a good guy," she said.  
  
"He made fun of Botan's hair and eyes," said Kagome.  
  
"No, that was that Joey person. Tristan said that he thought Tori would kill herself," said Botan.  
  
"Joey made fun of you?" asked Mai. Botan nodded. "Well, guess I'll have to have a few words with him whenever he gets back," she said. "By the way, where DID they go this morning?" she asked.  
  
"No clue," came Serenity's response.  
  
"Just for your 411, Kagome, Mai's with Joey, and Serenity's his little sister," said Tori, to relieve a bit of Kagome's headache. Kagome nodded. Hiei came up to them.  
  
"Come on, we're going," he said.  
  
"Where are you off to?" asked Mai.  
  
"KaibaCorp," said Tori, as though the very word was poisonous. The girls gasped.  
  
"Why?" asked Serenity. They all knew how much Tori hated Kaiba.  
  
"I...err...can't tell you," she said, fidgeting with her collar. Tea's eyes widened.  
  
"Why not?" she asked incredulously.  
  
"It's classified information," came Hiei's voice from behind her. Tori glared at him, but nodded. NOW he'd done it...  
  
"Whaddya mean, classified?" asked Duke. Hiei rolled his eyes.  
  
"Allow me to define it for you: confidential, top secret, withheld from general circulation for reasons of security, containing information whose unauthorized disclosure could be prejudicial to the national interest, must I go on?" he snapped.  
  
Tori smacked herself in the forehead. Hiei definitely didn't know how to shake off curiosity without intensely spurring it first.  
  
"What he means is, IT'S NOT IMPORTANT!" said Tori, giving Hiei a death glare. Now they'd NEVER leave them alone! Tea stared between them, and turned to Tori, giving her an evil smile.  
  
"Oh, Tori..." she said in a singsong voice, making Serenity and Mai join in on it. Tori shook her head and backed away from them, telepathically sending every curse word she knew in Hiei's direction.  
  
"I don't like how you're looking at me..." said Tori.  
  
"You never have," pointed out Duke, obviously not seeing what was going on. Tori turned and ran for it, speeding through the crowds, closely pursued by Tea and Serenity. Mai had stayed behind, not wanting to ruin her heels.  
  
Hiei watched with piqued interest as the girls took off.  
  
"Shouldn't you go save her or something, Hiei?" asked Yusuke. Hiei shook his head.  
  
"She'll be fine," he muttered.  
  
Tori dodged around the various obstacles in the city, such as fountains, trashcans, people, dogs, pigeons, benches, clocks, lamps, statues, and many more, until she reached what she'd thought to be a through alleyway, and nearly ran straight into the brick wall at the end. She spun around to face her two friends, who were panting hard.  
  
Inwardly, Tori smirked. Her endurance had increased without her knowledge. She'd hardly broken a sweat. 'Thank you, training,' she thought.  
  
The girls approached her, slightly recovered. Tori stared at them.  
  
"Tori...pant...what's going on?" asked Tea.  
  
Serenity recovered the fastest, and stood up straight. Tori realized she could've run, but after what Hiei had put her through, she figured she'd LOVE to see them try and get anything out of her. She faced Serenity as Tea soon caught her breath and joined her.  
  
"Why are you going to KaibaCorp?" asked Serenity.  
  
"And who the hell are those people?" demanded Tea. Tori smirked. Boy, did they suck at this! She couldn't believe she'd ever been tortured into telling them anything.  
  
"I don't think I should tell you..." she said, looking at her nails as though they were the most interesting things in the world. Tea smirked.  
  
"Well then, what's with those guys? Are they REALLY taken?" she asked. Tori glanced at her.  
  
"Mm hm," she said, looking back at her nails.  
  
"I don't think you're telling the truth. Who are they with, then?" asked Serenity. Inwardly, Tori cringed. Okay, they'd gotten better. She didn't let her face show it, though.  
  
"I don't have to tell," she said.  
  
"Oh, okay then, I'll just go and ask for that red-eyed guy's number. He's pretty cute," said Tea. Tori felt a flame spark.  
  
"What about Tristan?" she snapped. Tea raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Why so cold?" she asked.  
  
"What about that other black-haired guy?" asked Serenity.  
  
"And what about Duke?" Tori responded towards her. She was winning, at least, so she thought.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, Tori, I didn't realize you found someone else," said Tea, "we were just thinking we'd get you and Yugi back together..."  
  
"NO!!" snapped Tori, turning to face them, urgency and fury in her eyes. The girls withdrew, staring.  
  
"Whoa! Sorry, Tori!" said Tea. Serenity blinked.  
  
"Don't you EVER let that guy near me AGAIN! GOT IT??" snarled Tori. They trembled slightly.  
  
"We're sorry, we're sorry!" said Tea, waving her hands. Tori took a deep breath, feeling her ligress sink back into her mind.  
  
She didn't say another word to the girls. She strode past them, not noticing their looks of confusion and fear.  
  
She came back to the group, who'd sat down on some benches (in Hiei's case, a cement wall), and she joined them, not speaking to anyone.  
  
Tea and Serenity came back, looking like they'd seen a ghost. They avoided Tori as they took a seat with Mai.  
  
Tori sat quietly, not responding when Kagome asked her a question.  
  
"Tori? Hello?" asked Kagome, poking her friend.  
  
"I'm leaving," said Tori simply, and she stood up, walking off towards KaibaCorp. Her friends watched her strangely, and Mai, Duke and Bakura looked curiously at Tea and Serenity for answers.  
  
Kagome hurried after Tori, and Hiei jumped off the wall, walking after them, followed by Botan, Yusuke, and Kurama. Botan gave a friendly wave goodbye to the other group as she raced to catch up with the girls.  
  
When Botan caught up, Tori explained the whole scenario, glaring at the ground the entire time. When she'd finished, Kagome spoke.  
  
"Even after all that, though, are they still your friends?" she asked. Tori sighed.  
  
"Yes, Kagome, they still are."  
  
They headed towards the large building, when a beeping came from Botan's direction. Hurriedly, she pulled out the detector, and her eyes widened.  
  
"There's an artifact nearby!" she hissed. Hiei and Kurama glanced around. Yusuke and Kuwabara clenched their fists, and the girls looked about the area.  
  
"I don't see anyone," said Tori. Kagome whispered something to Botan, who nodded and reached into her pack, pulling out the Hyper Bow and handing it to Kagome.  
  
Tori got an idea. She also whispered to Botan, who gave her the Boomerang of Summoning.  
  
"Anyone else need an artifact?" she asked. Yusuke nodded, and she gave him the Blaze of Water Ring.  
  
They all stood, tense, in the now empty street. Suddenly, Kuwabara got struck from behind, and Yusuke blasted right above him with a huge burst of fire.  
  
Kagome aimed a light arrow, but she too was struck, by absolutely nothing, and she fell, shooting the arrow, nearly causing it to pierce Tori's neck, if Hiei hadn't pulled her down.  
  
"It's an invisible enemy," reported Kurama, and he quietly sniffed, quickly turning and holding out his arm, and everyone heard the thud of arm against arm. The sniffing gave Tori an idea. She held out the Boomerang, summoning a wolf.  
  
Kurama threw a punch toward the opponent, but it apparently wasn't there anymore, as his arm passed through thin air.  
  
Tori instructed the wolf to sniff out the intruder, and find it. Kurama once more used his nose, and jumped in front of Hiei with another punch, and everyone once more heard the connection. Tori heard the footsteps as they staggered away from Kurama, and stopped. She pounced for the hidden person, claws out, and felt the air sweep as the person dodged.  
  
Her claws soon caught a piece of clothing, and she fell, skidding on the asphalt.  
  
Kurama jumped for the source of the smell again, this time connecting with a kick. Tori's wolf leapt for the unseen enemy, and Hiei jumped out of the way before the person could hit him. Kagome shot for the target, and apparently it missed, as the arrow shot away towards the buildings, dissipating as it struck them.  
  
The wolf soon had grabbed something, and it snarled as it tugged on it like a police dog, its mouth half open. Kurama grabbed just above the wolf's jaws, feeling an arm.  
  
Tori glanced at the cloth in her hand. It was bright green...  
  
Suspiciously, she walked towards Kurama, making the wolf disappear, and she took where its jaws had been, and she soon felt a clenched hand. The person struggled to get away, kicking Kurama. Kagome smacked where she suspected the head was, and it hit, knocking something off.  
  
She stared. A pair of circular glasses lay on the ground.  
  
Tori pried her fingers into the hand, forcing it to let go, and with success, she felt something like a coin.  
  
She pulled it out, and the person became visible, a blind, beaten up Weevil Underwood.  
  
Kagome picked up the glasses as Weevil shrieked.  
  
"My coin! You took my lucky coin!" he cried. "Where are my glasses?"  
  
Kagome handed them to him, and he put them on, seeing the deadly faces. Tori was busily examining the coin. It was gold, with the Millennium Eye symbol on it. It was about the size of a half-dollar.  
  
"It's the Eye of Invisibility all right," she reported. Botan came over, and she put the Eye in her backpack, along with the Boomerang.  
  
Kurama released him, and he glanced around at them.  
  
"Get lost, nerd," spat Yusuke, and Weevil ran off.  
  
"Okay, now that's...five artifacts, according to my math," said Kuwabara.  
  
"Which sucks, it's seven," said Yusuke. Kuwabara glared.  
  
"Well, are we gonna keep going?" asked Tori. They nodded, and turned towards KaibaCorp.  
  
Seven artifacts...three left to go...  
  
Tori the Hanyou: Yes, this is DEFINITELY the longest chappie I've ever written! 14 PAGES, BABY! WOO HOO! And I did it JUST for you guys! It's what kept me from updating for so long, lol. Well, this chappie was based on, of course, reunions, and the gaining of one more artifact, but next chappie...let's just say you Kurama/Kagome fans are gonna be REALLY happy...lol.  
  
REVIEW ANSWERS:  
  
Thank you guys so much for answering my questions! I feel happy knowing it's not just Kurama and Kagome that makes you wanna read my story.  
  
CHAPTER TITLE PREVIEW: When Foxes are in Love (intriguing, isn't it?) 


	15. When Foxes Are In Love

Tori the Hanyou: YAY! 100 REVIEEWWWSS!!! THANK YOU GUYS SOO MUCH! Sry about the length of this chappie, though. The next one will DEFINITELY be longer! Instead, I'm giving you guys a nice lil GUESSING GAME!!! YAAAY!  
  
Here's what's in this chapter:  
  
Major KKF  
  
If you can't guess, it's ok, you'll find out, but for those of you who CAN guess...um...YOU'RE SMART! AND I'll give you a cookie! -  
  
REVIEW ANSWERS:  
  
starangel4899: Thanks! I like getting 10/10's, lol, even though I don't get that much!  
  
eddie4: thanks, but sadly this chapter isn't very long, cuz I only wanted to keep one idea in it.  
  
Black Mage Tsucasa and UltaAnimeFangurl2004: Yeah, he is. I like treating him like a nerd...muahahahaha!  
  
Kanna Fan: Actually, girl, yes I know perfectly well their Japanese names; I don't like to use them, though. I don't like using many Japanese terms in my stories, since it confuses people who haven't had much experience with the site yet. I know also Serenity's name is Shizuka (like Kuwabara's big sister) and all their other names as well, like Duke is Otogi.  
  
SO! ON WITH THE STORY!!  
  
DISCLAIMER: Only own Tori and the ligress...that's all...(sigh)  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() Check it out! New Banner! (It's cuz FF didn't seem to like my old one)  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 15: When Foxes are in Love  
  
"Whaddya mean you can't let us in? I'm a duelist!" said Tori. The clerk spoke quietly, freakishly quietly.  
  
"I'm sorry, but Mr. Kaiba has left strict orders to not let anyone in today. He is not feeling well," said the lady. Tori sighed, and gritted her teeth. Stupid MISTER Kaiba...MISTER... 'Thinks he's so high and mighty...sheesh...' thought Tori.  
  
They left the building, much to Tori's actual relief.  
  
They started the long walk back to the hotel, but Tori wanted to go to the aquarium.  
  
"No," said Hiei simply.  
  
"Why not?" asked Tori. Everyone else stayed quiet.  
  
"It's too dangerous out here. With those Rare Hunter people, and your friends, absolutely not," snapped Hiei.  
  
He waited for her fiery response, but it never came. At first, he figured she'd finally listened to him, but it didn't take him long to realize that she and Botan were gone. "Damn her..." he muttered dangerously. Before anyone could stop him, the fire demon had shot off into the city after them. It was quiet among the group members after he left. Yusuke spoke up.  
  
"Wanna go to the arcade?" he asked Kuwabara.  
  
"Sure!"  
  
"I'm going back to the hotel," said Kagome, "my feet hurt."  
  
"Suit yourself, what about you, Kurama?" he asked. Kurama shook his head. The boys took off for the arcade, yelling that they'd be back later.  
  
"I hope so, or Botan will surely have my head," muttered Kurama. Kagome giggled.  
  
It was dark when they got back to the hotel rooms, and Kagome turned on the TV and took off her shoes, resting her socked feet on the couch next to her. Kurama sat down, and they watched the Friends Finale for a while. (Did anyone else see that? SOO cute, and SOO sad!) Kagome leaned her head on Kurama's shoulder as Rachel appeared in Ross's apartment after he heard the message on his machine.  
  
At the commercial break, Kurama spoke up. "...Kagome?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"What do you know about...um...demon mating rituals?" he said quickly. Kagome snapped her eyes open and looked at him.  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked.  
  
"Well...you know..." Kagome shook her head.  
  
"I heard my friend Myoga talk about it once, but I don't think I remember too much of it, since Inuyasha squashed him when he was about to explain how it works," said Kagome. Kurama sighed.  
  
"Well, when a demon chooses who they want to be with...they mark them, so that no other demon can claim them. It's very similar to marriage among humans, except we can never divorce," said Kurama. Kagome nodded.  
  
"I got that much," she said, "So, all you do is mark me?"  
  
"Yes...but it's not that simple. When I mark you, you must stay by my side for at least two days afterward, to show other demons that you're mine. Since we're not exactly in a demon realm, that part's really not necessary, but Yoko seems to think it is. Honestly, I believe he just wishes to see me go through with it," said Kurama. Kagome giggled.  
  
"After all I've heard about him, it sounds like something he'd really do," she said.  
  
"He threatened to do it himself if I didn't comply," said Kurama. Kagome stopped her giggling and stared at him.  
  
"Okay, I'd rather do that part than have Yoko make me," she said. He smiled, and nodded.  
  
"But remember, once I do this, it's permanent," he said. Kagome nodded.  
  
Kurama stared into her eyes. Kagome saw and felt such love radiate from them that she melted inside.  
  
Slowly, his lips connected with hers, and Kagome felt herself drown in his embrace. He wrapped his arms gently around her waist, holding her to his body.  
  
Soon, he broke the kiss, and trailed his lips down to Kagome's neck, softly sucking on it, and nipping carefully so as not to hurt her.  
  
Kagome felt goose bumps on her skin, as his fangs grew longer and sharper.  
  
She closed her eyes, and he whispered a small apology into her ear before biting down.  
  
Kagome gasped slightly, feeling his energy flow through his fangs into her bloodstream. He gently removed his fangs and started massaging the wound with his tongue. His demon saliva went to work, immediately closing up the marks, leaving a noticeable scar.  
  
Kagome sighed quietly as he drew her closer to him.  
  
'It's done,' Kurama thought to Yoko, who mentally nodded in approval.  
  
'Don't forget...' he started.  
  
'I know, I know, and I won't let her leave my side,' said Kurama.  
  
'Remember, if you don't follow the rest of the rules, I'll make both of you,' muttered Yoko. Kurama nodded nervously.  
  
'I made that point very clear to Kagome,' he said.  
  
"Hey, Kurama?" asked Kagome quietly.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Tell me more about this mating thing. You said that since we're not in the demon realm, the marking's the only part that's REALLY necessary. What would we need to do if we were?" Kurama chuckled.  
  
"So curious...that's another thing I love about you," he muttered. Kagome smiled. "Well, if we indeed were in the demon realm, the actual mating would have taken several days or weeks, instead of a few minutes, like I just showed you," explained Kurama.  
  
"What happens?" asked Kagome, with the innocence of a child being told a bedtime story.  
  
"Well, first off, the demon would, of course, pick a female. Next, he would try and dominate her, stating that he's the leader. After that, he'd fend off any other males, telling them that the female belongs to him. When the female understands what's going on, he gives her the mating kiss, which is pretty much another dominating thing. After the kiss, the female has to walk, sit, sleep, eat...etc by the male, until he decides he's ready to mark her, which is usually when they're alone. When the marking is complete, the female doesn't always have to do everything by the male's side, because she permanently belongs to him, except for two days afterward, she must remain by his side," Kurama said. Kagome stared.  
  
"Wow, we skipped a lot of steps," she said. Kurama smiled, slightly deviously.  
  
"Apparently, Yoko never did follow the rules," he said, and Kagome giggled. "Just to let you know, with more dominant demons, they usually try to keep the female by them anyway, even after the ritual is complete. I'm just glad Yoko let us skip most of that." Kagome nodded.  
  
"I am too. So all I have to do is stay next to you for the next two days? That shouldn't be hard, I do it anyway," said Kagome, snuggling closer to Kurama.  
  
Kurama smiled.  
  
"I know."  
  
They drifted off to sleep, not noticing a very frightened Botan come running in the door...  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
Tori the Hanyou: Yeah, shortest chappie ever, only 5 pages, but this chapter was only supposed to be about Kurama and Kagome's little 'episode', so I kinda got hung up on ideas. Anywho, if y'all couldn't guess what the little game was at the top of this chappie, you'll have to wait for my update to see the answer (it'll be at the top). At least it gives you another chance to guess! - Wow, I love these games! To tell y'all the truth, I've already finished the next chappie, I'm just gonna wait a couple of days to put it up, I'm thinking next Wednesday. Ok, so, here's the preview, it oughta be interesting!  
  
CHAPTER TITLE PREVIEW: Mating Rituals, Part 1  
  
REVIEW!!! (BTW, do you guys want a lil poem after each chappie's done? I was thinking about it, but I dunno) 


	16. Mating Rituals, Part 1

Tori the Hanyou: Wow, yes, last chappie was just about the shortest ever, so I hurried up with this one. Yeah, I really only wanted to base it in Kagome and Kurama's mating thing, so I dunno if you can guess what this one's about.  
  
Here's the answer to the lil game at the top of last chappie: Major Kurama Kagome Fluff! (Or Kagome Kurama Fluff)  
  
Winners (tosses cookies to them): Kanna Fan  
  
Now, here are the review answers:  
  
UltaAnimeFangurl2004: Nah, sorry, but here's your update!  
  
Kanna Fan: You're welcome, and as for all that other stuff u said before, ya, my style of writing is to put loads of cliffies. I'm thinking about a sequel, but I'm not too sure. I'm gonna ask the reviewers about it in the last chappie of this story (which shouldn't be too far from now ;-;) I liked working on this fic, and I'm hoping I can do a sequel, if anyone wants it. Well anywho, thanks for reviewing, and here's the next chappie!  
  
starangel4899: sad, I hate it when siblings ruin stuff for you, I oughta know, I got a big bro and a lil sis, both are very abusive. Not much I can do about it, though, they're the 'perfect' ones after all, I'm the one who always gets yelled at (sigh). That's family for ya. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 16: Mating Rituals, Part 1  
  
()()()()() Now, let's go back in time to about...say...when the group split up, except this time we're going to follow and see what became of Hiei and the disobedient girls... ()()()()()()()()()()  
  
"Hurry! In here, Botan!" said Tori to her friend as they raced into the front door of the aquarium, making a sharp left and running down the stairs into the tank area. Tori smiled as Botan caught her breath.  
  
"Tori...do you really think it...was wise...to do that?" she panted. Tori nodded.  
  
"Now come on, let's go see the animals!" She tugged on Botan's arm, and the Grim Reaper reluctantly followed.  
  
They walked down each isle, happily looking at all of the sea creatures to be seen. Tori looked with interest at the sharks as they passed by. "You know what a Great White Shark is, Botan?" she asked.  
  
Botan nodded.  
  
"I hear it's that awful creature that eats people and is one of the biggest sharks of them all," she said, shuddering, "a lot of the people I've taken to Spirit World died because of that monster."  
  
Tori shook her head.  
  
"No, Botan, you've got it all wrong. First off, Great Whites don't normally eat people. They'll usually only attack surfers because the surfers look like their favorite meal: seals. Think about it, a long, oval shaped body with four appendages paddling along, it'd look like a seal to me if I had shark eyes," explained Tori.  
  
"That still doesn't tell me why some of the people I took weren't surfers," said Botan.  
  
"Sharks are all very curious. Sadly, their sense of sight isn't all that good. So, when they see a foreign object, their first instinct is to bite it to investigate it. That's usually what happens when they attack non- surfers, but the shark could also be fighting back, if the human was bothering it. Also, Great Whites are big sharks, growing to be between 15 and 25 feet long, but the biggest of them all is the whale shark, which can be up to 40 feet long, and it doesn't even eat meat."  
  
"Well then, if you know so much about those monsters, how come they're not in this aquarium?" asked Botan.  
  
"Great Whites have never been sharks that could be successfully kept in captivity. No one knows why, it's usually problems with stress, or they get mysteriously ill. Personally, I think it's God's will so that no one will put one of his best killing machines in a glass box on display," explained Tori. Botan sighed.  
  
"Oh well, I still don't like them," she said. Tori smiled.  
  
"That's ok, not many people do, even after learning the facts," she said.  
  
They continued on, watching all of the animals. Botan seemed to develop a great liking for the porpoises and dolphins, but Tori just about glued herself to the killer whale tank wall.  
  
"My favorite animal in the sea," she said as Botan came up. One of the whales came over to see them, and it opened its mouth to make a loud clicking sound, and Botan's eyes widened.  
  
"It has big teeth," she said. Tori giggled, imitating the whale's clicking sound. It stopped, and looked at her curiously. She giggled again. The whale soon let out a beautiful call, and it echoed throughout the tank. The other whales came over.  
  
"So that sound calls its friends over..." muttered Tori.  
  
They all looked at the two girls. Botan watched them curiously as they exchanged clicks and squeals.  
  
"They sound just like dolphins," she said.  
  
"They are dolphins, the largest member of the dolphin family," said Tori, "it's actually quite funny, they're called killer whales, but they're dolphins."  
  
They continued their walk through the aquarium, and Botan kept checking nervously over her shoulder. "What's wrong?" asked Tori.  
  
"I don't like it. I feel as though we're being followed," said Botan. Tori looked around.  
  
"I don't see anyone."  
  
"Can we go, Tori? Please?" asked Botan. Tori stared at her.  
  
"What's the matter, Botan? Weren't we having fun?"  
  
"Yes, yes, I had fun, but we really should go, now," said Botan.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I-I don't know; I have a very bad feeling."  
  
"Botan, I don't..."  
  
"No, you should really listen to her, Tori," came a cold voice from behind Botan, who just about freaked out, "she knows when someone is following you, tracking your every move."  
  
Tori stared into the shadows. The glow of the tanks wasn't helping much, but she could just barely make out a familiar silhouette.  
  
"Hiei?" she asked.  
  
He stepped out, facing her, his red eyes flashing dangerously. Botan trembled and hid behind Tori.  
  
"You can go, Botan," said Hiei, "I'm not holding anything against you."  
  
Botan looked around Tori's shoulder at the demon, and one glance from him sent her towards the stairs.  
  
Once she was gone, Tori saw the glint in Hiei's eyes, and she turned and tried to follow Botan, but Hiei was in front of her before she could take a step.  
  
"Didn't I specifically tell you NOT to go running off?" he asked. Tori didn't respond, she only stood still, letting him come closer. She wasn't running away. "Didn't I?" he repeated. Tori stared defiantly at him. "I asked you a question," growled Hiei.  
  
"Which I don't have to answer," muttered Tori. She turned and started walking in the other direction.  
  
Once more, Hiei's demon blood boiled, and before Tori had gotten very far, she felt steel arms wrapped around her own, and sharp fangs pressing against her neck, threatening to pierce. She froze, feeling her heart begin to race again. What was he doing? Was he...biting her? "Hiei?" she asked warily.  
  
He released her, but kept a firm hold on one of her arms, spinning her around to face him.  
  
"Don't EVER run off like that again, unless I say so," he muttered stiffly. Tori's eyes widened.  
  
"Unless you SAY so?? Who the hell do you think you are?? You can't just...TELL me what to do and expect me to do it! The world doesn't work like that!" snapped Tori as she tugged on the arm that Hiei still gripped tightly.  
  
Now she'd done it...  
  
Suddenly, she felt herself zipping through the air, and soon she was out back of the aquarium, held in Hiei's arms. They took off through the air before anyone could see them, heading for the ocean.  
  
Hiei had a weird look in his eyes as Tori saw them, and she once more felt a flash of fear slip in and out of her body.  
  
He scanned the ocean, soon spotting a huge rock far away from the pier. He soared over to it, seeing an area cut out on the back so it was flat with a wall behind it. Deep water surrounded the rock. The word 'perfect' flashed through Hiei's mind as he flew down, dropping Tori on the flat part of the rock, landing next to her.  
  
She only glared at him and scooted away to look down in the water. Yeah, it was pretty deep. She thought she saw a strange shape pass near the rock, but she couldn't be sure. She felt Hiei's eyes on her, and turned to look at him.  
  
The sun was beginning to set, emphasizing the red in his orbs. Tori wrenched her gaze away and continued to stare into the water, thinking of any possible way she could jump into the water and swim back to the pier without Hiei noticing. Sadly enough, she'd have to do without the Hiei not noticing part, because his eyes were constantly fixed on her.  
  
It wasn't long before Hiei's demon blood began to triumph over him. He fought hard to keep it down, but it slowly took over, bit by bit.  
  
Tori heard growling behind her, and she turned to see Hiei's eyes shut, and he gave another growl before flashing them open, directly at her. Tori gulped, and decided to try her plan anyway. She fell forward, but before her face was an inch away from the water, she felt herself being pulled back up, and tightly wrapped in Hiei's arms.  
  
"You're not going anywhere, Tori," said Hiei, and Tori heard a sinister tone to his voice.  
  
"What do you mean? Of course I am!" snapped Tori angrily. He glared, tightening his arms.  
  
"I said, no," he whispered.  
  
Tori struggled to break free.  
  
"And I said YES! Now let go of me!" He didn't.  
  
That's when Tori tried one of the stupidest things ever: she drew out her claws. "I swear, Hiei, if you don't let go of me..."  
  
Snarling, Hiei flipped her onto her back, holding down her hands, staring daggers into her eyes.  
  
"You're in no position to make threats," he muttered dangerously, "now stay still." Tori stared at him unbelievably. Why was he doing this? What was going on?  
  
Tori decided to finally obey him: just about the smartest thing she'd done all day. Seeing that Tori wasn't going to try anything, Hiei got off of her, and pulled her back into his arms.  
  
Silently, yet in a puzzled manner, Tori rested her head against Hiei's shoulder. She had no idea what was happening, but she heard Hiei's quiet growl of approval.  
  
About an hour later, Hiei stood up, helping Tori to her feet. They flew back to the mainland, and Tori didn't say a word. She HAD to talk to Kagome when they got back, maybe she'd know what was wrong with Hiei.  
  
They soon arrived at the hotel, and went inside, heading up to their rooms. Tori found it quite annoying how Hiei stayed right by her the entire time, giving any guys who looked in their direction a death glare.  
  
When they opened the door, Tori practically flew away from Hiei and jumped behind the couch, where Kurama and Kagome were sitting with a pale- looking Botan. The minute Botan saw Hiei, she squeaked and hid with Tori. Kagome gave them both a very puzzled look, as Hiei gave Kurama a strange glance and went into the other room.  
  
"I...err...need to use the restroom," said Botan as she ran into the bathroom and shut the door. The sink turning on was all that was heard.  
  
"Um, Tori? Why are you two acting like this? It's like you're afraid of Hiei," said Kagome.  
  
"I guess he gave Botan a scare," said Kurama, "I'm not too sure about you, though, Tori."  
  
"Kagome, I REALLY need to talk to you," said Tori, getting up and going out on the porch. Kagome nodded, and stood up, walking to the door, when she heard a warning growl. She turned around to see Kurama watching her, but his eyes flashed a dangerous gold.  
  
"Remember..." was all he said. Kagome gulped, and quickly went back to sit next to Kurama. Tori watched with confusion.  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
"Tori, you're gonna have to talk to me with Kurama, too. I'll explain the day after tomorrow, ok?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Kagome," said Kurama, "he's keeping tabs on us, that's for sure."  
  
"Who?" asked Tori.  
  
"I'll explain when I said I would, ok?" asked Kagome. Tori nodded. She came over and sat next to Kagome on the couch.  
  
"Hiei's acting weird," started Tori. Kurama and Kagome exchanged glances.  
  
"How so?" asked Kurama. Tori blushed.  
  
"I...I dunno, he was...just...he acted...odd," she said, stumbling over her words.  
  
"Dominating?" asked Kurama. Tori raised her head.  
  
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Kagome gasped.  
  
"Kurama, you don't think..."  
  
"Yes, Kagome, I do," said the kitsune.  
  
Tori looked from one to the other.  
  
"What??? Tell me!" They both gave her pained looks.  
  
"Sorry, Tori, but I'll have to tell you later," said Kagome.  
  
"What the hell is going on?? Hiei's confusing me with his little possessive act, and all you two can do is make it worse! Can anyone help me here??" asked Tori.  
  
"No, I'm afraid not," said Kurama, "all I can say is, you'd better try to get used to what Hiei's doing, and follow his orders, or else you'll make him very angry."  
  
"I already found that out the hard way!" said Tori.  
  
"Oh, dear..." said Kurama, "well then, just try not to let his behavior bother you too much."  
  
"Why can't you guys tell me?" asked Tori.  
  
"It's a demon policy," said Kagome, "I can't tell you about that, either."  
  
Tori sighed in exasperation and flopped backwards on the couch.  
  
"What am I gonna do?" she mumbled.  
  
The couple shrugged.  
  
It wasn't long before Yusuke and Kuwabara came in from their arcade rave. Tori decided not to get caught up in their talk about who got the highest score on what game, and she climbed into bed, going straight to sleep.  
  
(The next morning)  
  
Tori went out for a little morning walk, stopping down in the lobby to grab a small bite of breakfast.  
  
She headed out into the streets, watching the early morning duelists. She noticed that there weren't many people left in Battle City. The stronger duelists had eliminated them all. Tori had never considered herself a very strong duelist, so she knew the only reason she was still in the tournament was because she hadn't dueled many people.  
  
Sighing, and adjusting her duel disk to a more comfortable position, Tori walked out into the park. She followed the little stream as it went on its way, meandering through the grass.  
  
There was only a couple of people here, but no duelists, thankfully. Tori felt the light breeze kick up, and blow her dark blonde hair off her shoulders. Her brown eyes stared thoughtfully into the running water below her as she sat down on the stream bank, leaning against a tree trunk.  
  
'Why couldn't Kurama and Kagome tell me? What the hell did they mean by demon policy? I swear, if there're any other freaky things going on, I'd like to know RIGHT NOW!' she thought.  
  
Almost as soon as she completed that mental statement, she heard the grass rustle behind her. Whirling around, she was soon face-to-face with none other than...  
  
"Y-Yugi?" she asked, her throat drying up. He smirked, his amethyst eyes flashing in the light from the sunrise.  
  
"Why hello Tori. Fancy meeting you here," he said with subtlety. Tori scooted away from him as he sat down next to her.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked, not daring to meet his gaze. He watched her.  
  
"You, of course. You've had me worried sick for the past six months. I was beginning to wonder if you might be dead," said Yugi.  
  
"Might've been better off if I was," muttered Tori.  
  
"Don't say things like that. Even though I can sense your anger towards me, I don't care. I still have feelings for you," he said. Tori turned to see the look on his face. It was devoid of any sinister emotion, completely unlike what she'd seen the other day.  
  
"Yugi...I...can't. I can't love you anymore," said Tori, "you hate me, you wanted me gone."  
  
"Tori, that was Marik's work, not mine..."  
  
"That's not the point, Yugi! The insults had only been the last straw! Even before then, I felt our bond breaking. You were starting to scare me, a lot. I couldn't live my own life with you, you just kept me under a spell almost the whole time."  
  
"It was to make sure you didn't run away..."  
  
"Wouldn't you have taken the hint if I did?? If I'd wanted to run away, wouldn't that have shown you how you were treating me?? I cared about you before, Yugi, and I thought I could be happy with you. I was, for a time, happier than I was with Riku, but then I saw your true side, and I'm not talking about Yami," said Tori. Yugi sighed.  
  
"I can change, you know..."  
  
"It's too late, Yugi. You've broken my heart, and I can't forgive you for that." 'Not like how Kagome continuously forgave Inuyasha,' she thought to herself.  
  
"Then tell me something, who was that other guy you were with?" asked Yugi, scooting closer.  
  
"He's Hiei, one of the demons I have to work with," said Tori.  
  
"Have to?" asked Yugi.  
  
"Yes, I'm supposed to help look for these...err...things, and I was assigned to work with Hiei, Kurama, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kagome."  
  
"But why do you have to? Did you have a choice?" asked Yugi. Tori sighed.  
  
"No, I didn't. But I don't care anymore. I've gotten used to it. This choker was what prevented me from running away from them, or attacking them. At first, I admit, I truly hated it. I felt like a dog on a leash, just like how I felt with you."  
  
"Tori, come on, you gotta see it from my point of view. There were other guys who wanted you, and keeping you near me was the only way I could think of to fend them off," said Yugi, coming closer, "besides, it was also my way of showing that I cared."  
  
Suddenly, Tori felt his arms wrap around her, and she gasped, struggling.  
  
"Let go of me!" she snapped. She tried to reach down and bite one of his arms to make him release, but he used one of his hands, tilting her head up to meet his.  
  
"Come back to me, Tori," he whispered, and Tori caught a glimpse of the Millennium symbol on his forehead.  
  
"No..." she muttered, feeling his shadow powers pry once more into her mind.  
  
Yugi smirked. He'd won. He'd done it. She was his again.  
  
But that all changed, when he felt an enraged power blast into him, knocking him off of her, and stopping his spell.  
  
He looked up, seeing one furious Hiei standing protectively over Tori. The look in his crimson orbs was ultimate death, blazing with the light of the sun.  
  
Yugi stood up, facing his opponent, glaring, his amethyst eyes flashing.  
  
"So, it's you," he muttered.  
  
"You know it is. Stay away from her," snarled Hiei.  
  
"I really don't think a pathetic demon can stop me. You have no idea who I am, do you?" asked Yugi.  
  
"So, you're good at playing cards, yada yada, Tori told me all about it, that doesn't change the fact that I can dice your head off any second I choose," snapped Hiei.  
  
"I'm not just a duelist, you know. Obviously, Tori didn't tell you of my powers," said Yugi. Hiei's look didn't change.  
  
"So what? You have abilities. I really don't care. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a demon, born and bred with the power to kill," he said.  
  
"Your weak and stupid demonic talents would not be enough to stop me," said Yugi, smirking.  
  
Hiei just about lost his temper. Yugi had hit the demon's weak spot: his pride.  
  
Without anything else, he disappeared. Yugi's smirk grew, thinking he'd scared him off. But, that was before he felt a blade run across his back, and he whirled around to see Hiei with the smirk on this time. "How'd you get over there?" asked Yugi.  
  
"It's a little talent I like to call super speed. Let's see if you can top that," said Hiei.  
  
Yugi glared.  
  
"You know it." He spread his arms, his Millennium Puzzle beginning to glow. Out of the puzzle spewed some sort of black cloud, surrounding the two combatants. "Let's take this to the Shadow Realm, shall we?" asked Yugi. Hiei thought for a second. There was another one? He knew about the Demon, Human, and Spirit Realms, but he'd never before heard of a Shadow Realm. Koenma would have a fit about this one...  
  
When the black cloud had completely covered their new battlefield, Yugi reached under the collar of his shirt, pulling out a fine white gold chain, which held small white charm shaped like two outstretched wings.  
  
Hiei watched as it glowed slightly, and then Yugi was rising into the air. "Looks like I can fly," said Yugi. Three words appeared in Hiei's mind, 'The Flight Pendant.'  
  
He smirked, rising into the air.  
  
"Oh, well what do you know? It appears I'm gifted with that ability, too," he said. Yugi slightly scowled, but it disappeared quickly.  
  
Yugi held out his hands, apparently concentrating. Soon, a long sword appeared in them, created of black energy.  
  
"Meet my Shadow Sword. I created it myself," said Yugi, watching it with a fond pride.  
  
"That's child's play. An oaf I know uses that same trick," said Hiei, holding up his own sword. He glanced down at his right wrist, where underneath his black sleeve rested the bandages he'd wrapped around his arm to seal the great power hidden within. 'I shouldn't have to resort to using the Dragon on him. He's not worth it,' thought Hiei, 'for now, if my swordsmanship fails, which it won't, I'll simply stick with the flame that I've mastered.' He looked at where Tori had been lying on the ground.  
  
Yugi followed his gaze, knowing what he was thinking.  
  
"Do you really think I'd have brought her here? Her mind would have soon been swallowed up by the countless shadows that lurk in these corners. Then what kind of soul mate would I be for her?" asked Yugi.  
  
"If you're talking about mindless, then you'd have been perfect. Sadly, though, I still wouldn't have allowed it," said Hiei.  
  
Yugi glared. He held up his sword.  
  
"If you think you can take the power of the Pharaoh of Egypt, then just try me," he said.  
  
"Right...you're the Pharaoh of Egypt...I'll believe it when I see it," said Hiei. Yugi charged, zipping straight at him. Hiei, of course, dodged, and struck Yugi another blow across the back with his sword.  
  
They clashed, sword against sword, will against will, human against demon. This wasn't just a battle for Tori anymore; it had become a war over pride. Hiei himself was quite surprised of the skill that Yugi used to wield his weapon. He was much better at handling a Spirit Sword, or 'Shadow Sword', than Kuwabara.  
  
Hiei back flipped to avoid a horizontal cut from Yugi, but the duelist acted quickly, and finished with a combo attack just as Hiei landed, striking deep into his side. Hiei gritted his teeth. It was the first time Yugi had actually hit him, and it was a deep blow.  
  
The battle continued for what seemed like hours, each sword strike becoming fiercer. Hiei dodged another of Yugi's deadly combo attacks and spun around to make a nice cut along the length of Yugi's arm. He was just about to thrust into his shoulder, when Yugi's blade came up, blocking the attack. They held the swords there, trying to push forward, each never losing his hold.  
  
Both were panting, their swords trembling with the pressure, each trying to surmount the other's deadly glares. Hiei snarled and gave one final shove, knocking Yugi backwards, and dealing him a hefty blow across the head, knocking him out of the air to the ground.  
  
He landed, and while Yugi was in a daze, he used the tip of his sword to flick the Flight Pendant off of Yugi's neck, bringing it over to himself. He stuck it safely in his pocket, and waited for Yugi to rise, being the honorable fighter that he was.  
  
Yugi rose, and looked at his Sword. He clenched his fist, and the weapon disappeared. Seeing he had nothing to attack with, Hiei sheathed his sword as well. Yugi held out his hands, and fierce orbs of black energy escaped from them, heading straight for Hiei. He jumped, avoiding them, and reappeared across the battlefield.  
  
Hiei clenched his own fists, concentrating his mighty fire energy into them. Smirking as he saw his hands burst into bright yellow flames, Hiei once more zipped across the area, appearing next to Yugi.  
  
"Fists of the Mortal Flame!!" he called, and his hands shot forward in a flurry of furious punches. Yugi winced as he felt the fire attack him, rip at his body. He turned his back to block the fire, but Hiei aimed one mighty punch at the paralyzing spot on the human's back. Demons didn't have one, but humans had a certain area in the lower back region where, if they were punched, they were paralyzed for a very short time. Hiei hit, and Yugi felt his body go rigid.  
  
The power of Hiei's shot had guaranteed immobilization for a while, but Hiei simply backed off. When Yugi regained control of himself, he turned to the demon.  
  
"Well? Why didn't you finish me? You had the chance!" he said. Hiei smirked.  
  
"I wanted to show you what I'm capable of doing. Clearly, I'm the superior fighter, if you didn't know about every human's weak spot," said Hiei.  
  
Yugi glared.  
  
Hiei turned, heading for the edge of the black cloud. Yugi couldn't resist. He held his hands together, feeling the power surge into them. He blasted a black beam towards the unsuspecting demon.  
  
Hiei heard the beam coming, and leapt into the air, but just slightly too late. The black energy nailed him in the leg, and he clenched his jaw to keep from making a sound. He landed, favoring his right leg, which felt like it was on fire. Yugi laughed.  
  
"Now who's the superior fighter, demon?"  
  
Hiei stood up straight.  
  
"Clearly, you're still not. A true fighter doesn't use cheap tricks and attack while his opponent's back is turned. A true fighter attacks when his opponent is aware of it, and able to block it, if he can. You're the lowest of the low if you pull stunts like that," he scorned.  
  
Yugi's smirk changed back to a glare.  
  
"Fine, then, now that I have your attention, let's see if you can take my full power!" he shouted. He started glowing with a golden light, his eyes burning with the uncontrolled power he was coming close to releasing.  
  
Hiei sensed it all. Yugi really didn't know how to control his energy. 'Just like Bui,' he thought. (Bui's the huge, armored guy Hiei fought in the Dark Tournament Finals) Yugi unleashed an incredible amount of energy, a million beams of light heading straight for the pyre. Hiei tried to leap out of the way, but two of the beams struck, one through his already injured leg, and one through his left shoulder.  
  
Hiei couldn't help but let a slight growl of pain escape his throat. He landed, staring at his opponent. He had no choice; it was the Dragon or die. He quickly pulled up his sleeve, tearing off the bandages on his right arm, revealing the long, black scar spiraling down it. He held the arm out towards Yugi, summoning as much energy as he could to lure the Dragon out of Spirit World. He felt it coming.  
  
A searing pain shot up and down Hiei's arm as the dragon exploded from the end, devouring Hiei's offered energy, and turning towards the rampaging duelist.  
  
Yugi once more shot energy beams, but the Dragon simply devoured these, too, feeding off the life energy from them.  
  
With a mighty, screeching roar, the Dragon descended upon Yugi, soaking up almost every ounce of his strength. With nothing but a trembling body and a trickle of life energy left, Yugi collapsed to the ground as the Dragon went back to Spirit World, full.  
  
The black cloud disappeared, and Hiei kept his footing, though he was very tired. He didn't like summoning the Dragon too much; he'd only use it as a last resort. He tilted his head towards the risen sun, closing his eyes. Sighing, he walked over to Tori, who appeared to have awoken just then.  
  
"Hiei?" she asked weakly. He sat down next to her, leaning against the tree. "Is he..." Tori started.  
  
"Dead? No, he's over there," said Hiei, pointing to Yugi's fallen form. Tori looked down at his arm.  
  
"Hiei! What's..." She was cut off when he put a finger over her mouth.  
  
"I'll tell you later. For now, let's just rest."  
  
Tori nodded, and figured he'd just sit there on the ground, but apparently he didn't want to. Picking her up, he leapt high into the tree's branches, landing on a very thick one. He rested on this one, sitting Tori in his lap. She didn't care, she rested her head on his shoulder, and the two nodded off.  
  
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Tori the Hanyou: Part 1 finished! Yippee! Well, they got one more demon artifact, and two steps in the ritual were done.  
  
NOTE: For those of you who saw last week's new YYH episode, you'll notice I didn't do this chapter according to it. Sorry, but Hiei's scar and summoning of the dragon went with the chappie so perfectly. (Wasn't that episode SO FUCKING AWESOME???) Now, let's just say our whittle good byes FOR NOW, and here's the next chappie!  
  
CHAPTER TITLE PREVIEW: Mating Rituals, Part 2 (duh!)  
  
REVIEW!!! 


	17. Mating Rituals, Part 2

Tori the Hanyou: Okies! Chappie 16 was one of my best battle ones written! I'm so proud (sniff). Ok, well, here are the review answers:  
  
Pinkjingling and eddie4: Thanks a lot! I'll keep writing!  
  
Starangel4899: You know it! Hiei rocks! I hope you did well at your tournament!  
  
Choas Babe: Haven't seen you in a while, lol! It's actually Hiei pulling the same thing as Kurama, but you meant that, didn't you? Oh, yeah, Tori's gonna be mad...  
  
Black Mage Tsucasa: Thanks a lot! :D  
  
Kanna Fan: Oh, Gods, I know, but look at it this way: Yugi's not a very experienced fighter, he's a duelist, so he kinda got frustrated. Thanks for the idea about the sequel; like I said, I'm asking the reviewers about it in the last chappie. For your Kurama, KUWABARA, and Yusuke doughnut sprinkles thing, it's in the Byakko Saint Beast episode, where Kuwabara stabs Byakko's four little spirit beasts all through with his sword, and then he runs around the little tower behind the Detectives (that's where Hiei says: Think he knows it's a circle?) He stops and ties them up with the two ends of his sword, and that's where the quote comes in. And as for your little 'test' thing...GAH! BEWARE THE EVIL WORD THAT HAUNTS MY DREAMS!! NOOOOO!!! (lol)  
  
Midnight Ice Wolf: Good to see ya back! Thanks, a lot of people have answered the questions for me! So, have fun with this chappie!  
  
DISCLAIMER: Only own Tori, the ligress, AND that Avril Lavigne parody in Chapter 8! So DON'T STEAL IT! Not that any of you would, right? (smile)  
  
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Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 17: Mating Rituals, Part 2  
  
When Tori explained what had happened to Kurama and Kagome, they didn't seem at all surprised.  
  
"Lemme guess, it's another part of that thing you won't tell me about, isn't it?" asked Tori. They nodded.  
  
"The only person who can explain what's going on would be Hiei," said Kurama, "but we didn't think you'd want to ask him."  
  
"You're right, I don't," said Tori.  
  
"It's ok, Tori, it'll all be fine if you just talk to him," said Kagome.  
  
"Kagome, I'm not exactly a person who likes to have long talks," said Tori.  
  
"I know, but if you don't, you'll be in the dark for a long time," said Kagome tauntingly.  
  
Tori sighed.  
  
"Fine, fine, I'll do it."  
  
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Tori approached the screen door of the boys' room, where Hiei was at his perch, again. She slowly stepped out onto the porch, making sure to close the door behind her.  
  
"What is it?" asked Hiei. Tori froze; she hadn't exactly figured out how she was going to bring the subject up to him.  
  
"Erm...I...err...need to ask you something," she said quietly. He turned his head towards her, his red eyes glowing in the bright moonlight, his hair blown gently back by the breeze. Tori caught herself thinking how hot he looked right there, and blushed slightly.  
  
"Well? What's the question?" he asked. Tori sat on one of the lounge chairs on the porch, avoiding his gaze. She opened her mouth more than once as though to say something; before her nervousness swallowed her words right back down. She took a deep breath.  
  
"Hiei...you've been acting...kinda...strange lately," she started. He raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"I thought you came out here to ask me something, not comment on my behavior," he said. Tori gulped.  
  
"N-no, that's not what I meant...I...um...well...I wanted to ask why," she said. His eyes widened the slightest bit, before returning to normal, and a small smirk crossed his features.  
  
"So you noticed," he said.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Hiei came down from the railing, and walked over to the girl. Sitting on the chair next to her, he watched her face as the moonlight touched it. "Hiei?" asked Tori, "Are you-"  
  
Suddenly, he took her hand and pulled her into him, his lips pressing fiercely against hers. Tori felt herself melt as he forced his tongue into her mouth.  
  
He broke off after a while, and Tori sat, slightly panting.  
  
Inside, Kurama and Kagome watched with bated interest, peering around the doorway separating the hotel rooms.  
  
"He did it, that's it," muttered Kurama.  
  
"The mating kiss thing?" asked Kagome. He nodded.  
  
"Now all that's left is the keeping-her-by-his-side part, and then..."  
  
"Oh, God..." said Kagome.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Hello! Tori...stay by HIS side...she'll never do it," said Kagome.  
  
"Well then, all I can say is, these next few days are going to be rough," said Kurama.  
  
"Hey, you think we can try locking them in the closet again?" asked Kagome brightly. Kurama gave her a look that simply said, 'Are you crazy?' "I was kidding," said Kagome.  
  
"Well, all we can hope for is that the two don't kill each other," said Kurama.  
  
"Kill each other over what?" came Yusuke's voice right behind them, making both jump. "Whatcha looking at?" asked the detective as he tried to peek over to the door, before Kagome grabbed the back of his shirt collar and pulled him away from the doorway.  
  
"None of your business, Yusuke," she said through gritted teeth.  
  
"Hey, why so touchy?" asked the boy as he wrenched his shirt free from her grip. "What's going on?"  
  
"Heck if we're gonna tell you," said Kagome. Yusuke smirked before quickly glancing around the doorway onto the porch.  
  
"Ooo, they're having a little moment, are they?" He mockingly sniffed. "Our own Hiei is growing up right before our eyes," he said.  
  
"At least HE is," said Kagome, glaring as she shoved him away from the door and closed it.  
  
Botan lightly smacked Yusuke upside the head.  
  
"Yes, I agree. Why do you have to be so immature about these things?" she asked.  
  
"Because he's never experienced true love," said Kuwabara sagely. Everyone looked at him weirdly.  
  
"Ok, no one wants to hear any love advice from you, you dumb pervert," said Yusuke.  
  
"Ah, but you're forgetting my dear, sweet Yukina," said Kuwabara, "She's the one true love of my life, the one I can't forget," he said dramatically. Kurama sweat dropped.  
  
"Yes, and if Hiei finds out, you're going to be one sad lover," he said. Yusuke snickered.  
  
"Yeah, he'd butcher your head clean off," he said, making a sword swipe with his hand.  
  
"Why?" asked Kagome. Everyone exchanged glances.  
  
"Oh, right...you don't know. Well, for starters, what we're about to tell you, you cannot, we repeat, CANNOT, say to Hiei, or Yukina, for that matter," said Kurama, giving her a serious stare. Kagome nodded.  
  
"First, Yukina is Hiei's sister," said Botan, "Or half-sister, to put it better."  
  
"We rescued her from some bad guys who wanted to use her tear gems to sell for loads of money," said Yusuke.  
  
"She's an ice apparition, so her tears are very valuable, especially on the black market," said Kurama.  
  
"Yeah, and somehow the dummy over here 'fell in love' with her, as he puts it," said Yusuke, jabbing his thumb towards Kuwabara.  
  
"Well, why can't I tell either of them?"  
  
"Because Yukina doesn't know Hiei's her brother, and he doesn't want her to know. He thinks she'd be ashamed if she found that her brother's a former criminal," said Kurama. Kagome nodded.  
  
"I see...so I can't tell Hiei about Kuwabara and Yukina's...err...relationship, and I can't tell Yukina about Hiei being her brother, right?" she asked.  
  
"Right."  
  
Tori stared at Hiei unbelievably. What had that been all about? Why did he kiss her like that? It didn't make any sense. She tried to pull away from him, but he tightened his grip on her.  
  
"Hiei? Can I go inside?" she asked.  
  
"Why? Don't you like it out here?" asked Hiei.  
  
"Well, yeah...but I want to go see Kagome."  
  
"You can't."  
  
"And why the hell not?" asked Tori, getting slightly angry. He was doing it again...  
  
"Because I said so," said Hiei. Tori felt her anger swell, but she remembered what Kurama said, about trying not to make him angry, and she took a deep breath to calm herself.  
  
Hiei smirked inwardly. She was finally giving in to his commands. It wouldn't be long before he fully tamed her...  
  
He stood up, taking her hand and leading her inside, where the door was closed, but behind it they could hear voices.  
  
Tori tried to pull free from his hand, but the door opened, and in came Yusuke and Kuwabara, laughing about something, until they spied the couple.  
  
"Ooo, holding hands now, are we?" asked Kuwabara, snickering. Tori growled at him, until Hiei dragged her into the other room to avoid them.  
  
He sat down on the couch, sitting her next to him, while they listened to the conversation that had ensued between Kurama and Botan about herbs.  
  
Kagome looked over to the couch, where Tori was giving Hiei angry side-glances. 'He's already started keeping her near him...this won't be good...'  
  
Indeed, Tori was furious. How dare he think he could make her do these things! Sure, the kiss was nice enough, but that wouldn't save him from her fury. Sadly, though, she knew Kurama was right. Hiei had the power to make her do what he wanted, and for now she'd play along, but if it got out of hand, she was going to be one MAD girl.  
  
Soon, Botan went to sleep, and the other boys' snores were heard next door. Kurama and Kagome glanced at Tori and Hiei as they came over. Kagome got a small idea, to test Hiei.  
  
"Hey, Tori, come here," said Kagome. Tori once more gave Hiei a side- glance, and noticed he was giving her a threatening look. She glared, and stood up, only to find that his grip had tightened quite painfully, and she gritted her teeth as she tried to pry his hand off, only to find herself back on the couch, right next to him. She looked pleadingly at Kagome, who gave a slow nod. "I was right...ok, Tori, never mind," she said.  
  
Tori stared as she and Kurama went to bed. What the hell??? She felt Hiei's grip move from her wrist to around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Ok, it'd been nice before when he did this, but now, after how he'd been acting, it pissed Tori off.  
  
Hiei felt her surge of frustration, and he smirked as he used his Jagan on her to weaken her will, and hypnotize her into a gentle sleep. He snuggled his head into the top of hers, and followed her into slumber.  
  
(The next morning...)  
  
The two awoke to find everyone gone. Tori sat up sleepily in the blanket that she'd just discovered, and Hiei found the note on the small table next to the couch:  
  
Tori and Hiei:  
  
Went to search for Mirror of Truth. Will be back by sundown.  
  
Signed, Botan  
  
"So, they're gone?" asked Tori, yawning as the idea didn't properly register in her mind until she saw the look Hiei was giving her. She stared at him, wondering what the hell he was thinking, until he spoke up.  
  
"Yeah, they went to look for the Mirror of Truth, apparently. It's the only artifact we haven't found besides the Blade, and we know who's got that one."  
  
Tori nodded. She didn't trust the glint in Hiei's eyes, though. She slowly backed away from him as he scanned over the note again. "It was written about an hour ago," said Hiei, "The ink just recently dried."  
  
Tori didn't answer. She was quietly edging away from him, not that Hiei hadn't taken notice of this. Before she'd reached the end of the couch (she'd been planning to run for the door), Hiei had grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from it. "Careful, you don't wanna fall off," he said, smirking. Tori glared. He knew.  
  
She looked away from him, crossing her arms stubbornly. Where did he get off thinking he had the right to keep her next to him like a dog on a really short leash? Let's just say that, to Tori, it was very irritating.  
  
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"Anything yet, Botan?" asked Yusuke as they walked down the street towards the center of Battle City.  
  
"Nope, I haven't gotten a signal. You don't suppose it's not here, do you?" asked Botan.  
  
"That's quite unlikely. Koenma did say that the last five artifacts were to be found in this city. We have three, we know where the fourth is, so all we need to do is locate the fifth," said Kurama.  
  
"Which is turning out to be kinda like finding a needle in a haystack," said Yusuke.  
  
"Except we can detect where the needle is," piped up Kagome.  
  
"Yeah, but one question. How many people do you suppose carry mirrors in this city?" asked Yusuke, turning towards her.  
  
"That's not the point, Yusuke. All we need to do is get within range of the Mirror, and the detector will show us where it is," said Kurama.  
  
"Yeah, but that's just locating it. Suppose it wound up in another madman's hands, like what happened to Kagome and Tori? How the hell are we supposed to get it?" asked Yusuke.  
  
"There's also the chance that it could've found its way into a normal person's hands, we just have to keep our fingers crossed," said Kurama.  
  
"God, why are you always so optimistic? It's scary," said Yusuke. Kagome smiled softly to herself, leaning against Kurama's shoulder. She liked his positive attitude, no matter what anyone else thought.  
  
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"Hiei, what're you doing?" asked Tori, backing away again as Hiei came closer. She'd come to realize the little facts that had been dancing in her head for a while now. She and Hiei...alone...in a hotel room...while Hiei's demon blood had decided to emerge. She pressed herself against the far armrest as he drew closer, the glow in his red eyes becoming quite frightening. "Hiei? Can you hear me? Hello?"  
  
He placed both of his arms on either side of her head, staring deep into her eyes. Tori froze, remembering what Kurama and Kagome had told her, about trying to get used to how he was acting. Right...like anyone could actually get USED to this! She didn't pull anything to try and upset the unpredictable demon, but her instincts weren't exactly listening to her.  
  
Her muscles were tense, getting ready to fight or fly if anything happened, though she couldn't understand why. This was Hiei. She knew him. He wouldn't hurt her...would he? Her heart began to beat faster, and her breathing rate increased as his face drew nearer.  
  
They were soon an inch away, and Hiei got a grip on himself long enough to realize Tori's skepticism. He took the hand that was nearest the back of the couch, and gently stroked her cheek. She trembled a bit at his touch, but quickly relaxed. He was still there...just barely.  
  
The demon within Hiei couldn't take the wait much longer. It wanted to tame this disobedient girl, to be fully able to punish her whenever she denied his orders. Now was the time, more than ever. Hiei didn't want the demon to rush it, though. He didn't want Tori to be scared of him when he did it; he wanted her to know he was there.  
  
Slowly, Hiei drew his face into hers, gently kissing her to calm her fear. Tori felt her body go limp, her instincts at ease. She closed her eyes as he massaged her tongue with his own. He broke off after a while, watching her as she relaxed. He moved his head down to her neck, slowly kissing it. Tori felt him push her head to the side to gain better access, and a small shiver went up her spine as his fangs lightly grazed her skin, and he ran them up and down her neck, making her wonder what the hell he was up to.  
  
The thought was forgotten, though, as he licked an area about an inch below her ear. He picked up his head, watching her face for a while. Her eyes were closed, and her face was at peace. She trusted him, though she didn't know what he was about to do. A pang of guilt flickered through Hiei's veins, but it didn't stop him.  
  
Tori quickly heard the words, 'I'm sorry' flash through her mind; before she felt the ivory fangs pierce deep into her neck, Hiei's energy flowing through them into her body. Her heart cried out in pain and surprise, and she gritted her teeth to prevent the cry from escaping her mouth. What had he done?? She felt him remove his arms from either side of her, and wrap them securely around her waist, pulling her even closer to him. Her heart ached, but Hiei's went out to hers, comforting her as he gently licked the wound, his demon saliva going to work.  
  
The mark quickly healed, but it left a noticeable scar. He eyed it proudly, before checking on Tori. He felt the twinge of guilt flash through himself again as he saw the pain on her face. He quickly got off of her and pulled her into his arms, trying to soothe her.  
  
She was confused, utterly confused. She had no idea what he'd done, or why he'd done it. All she knew was that she felt pain; pain that he had caused. She'd never thought he'd have been the one to do such a thing. She'd trusted him, something that always went against her instincts, ever since she'd run away from Yugi.  
  
Hiei heard her short breaths, and gently stroked her shoulders, getting her to relax. She was weak from pain, so she couldn't say anything about what he'd done. She simply had no choice but to let the darkness take her once again, the last words she heard were from Hiei's demon side:  
  
'You're mine now...'  
  
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Tori the Hanyou: Well, uh, that was interesting, lol! Chappie 17 done! I'm thinking about making this a 20-shot, what do you guys think? Can I do it? Well, I've accomplished quite a bit in these last three chapters, so I'm quite proud of myself! :D  
  
ANNOUNCEMENT, NEW FIC ALERT!: All you Kurama fans are gonna LOVE this one! It's an Insert You of The Reader/Kurama. I think it's a pretty unique plot. If you wanna check it out, wait till tonight! I'm definitely putting it up then, okies? Please read it and REVIEW! It would make me VERY happy, since it's gonna be my first fic of that kind.  
  
Here's a preview of the story:  
  
TITLE: Prisoner of Love  
  
SUMMARY: Your father's the mayor of the city; your mother's the Chief of Police. One day, four strange boys are brought to the police station for suspicious activity. One of these boys catches your eye: the gentle one with the beautiful red hair and gorgeous green eyes... A You/Kurama fic.  
  
Okie Dokie then! See y'all next chappie, or at my new fic!  
  
CHAPTER TITLE PREVIEW: After Effects 


	18. After Effects

Tori the Hanyou: All right! Chapter 18! This is the longest story I do believe I've ever written, and it might be the first that I finish! (Checks story list) Yeah, it will. Well, anywho, I've been busy writing these for y'all, so here are the review answers:  
  
Black Mage Tsucasa: Yeah, you can bet to high heaven she didn't! And boy, will Hiei feel her wrath in this chappie! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Choas Babe: Yeah, Kurama already did it.  
  
pinkjingling: Well...first off, Kagome was expecting it. Second off, Kurama's gentler than Hiei, you gotta remember that. Third off, Tori trusted that Hiei wouldn't hurt her, and when he did by biting her, it not only hurt her physically, it startled her, and hurt her emotionally.  
  
NOTE: Yeah, that Insert You of Kurama/You is FINALLY up! Plz go look at it! I'm very proud of it!  
  
DISCLAIMER: Only own Tori and the ligress, NOTHING ELSE! Except for the artifacts, the plot, and the parody of Sk8ter Boi in chapter 8! So DON'T STEAL 'EM!  
  
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Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 18: After Effects  
  
Tori awoke late that afternoon with a dull pain thudding in her neck. She reached up and rubbed it, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. What had happened? She felt the arms that were wrapped around her shift, and she looked up to see Hiei's sleeping face.  
  
"Hiei?" she asked quietly. His eyes opened, and greeted hers.  
  
"Oh, you're awake," he said. She nodded.  
  
"What happened? My neck hurts," she said, rubbing it some more. He slowly removed her hand, and the memories of that morning came flooding back. He smirked. He might as well tell her now, while her body was still waking up.  
  
"You don't remember this morning?" he asked innocently. Tori thought for a minute, before it came back, with another flash of pain, not only in her neck, but also in her heart.  
  
"Oh, God...Hiei, what the hell did you do to me??" she asked. His smirk grew.  
  
"You're mine," he whispered. Tori froze, raising an eyebrow at him.  
  
"How so?" she asked suspiciously. His eyes bored into hers.  
  
"Tori, I marked you."  
  
It took about three seconds for those words to sink in.  
  
"YOU DID WHAT???"  
  
"You heard me," said Hiei calmly, the same smug look on his face, "And now you belong to me...forever."  
  
Tori tried to get up, but her body didn't seem to want to respond. Somehow, her heart was in control instead of her mind, and her heart was being held where it was by Hiei. She felt faint. How did this happen? How did she LET it happen?? She looked up at Hiei.  
  
"You marked me?? So, that...makes me..."  
  
"My mate," finished Hiei, moving a hand up to stroke the mark he'd made. She rested her head on his shoulder, in a daze.  
  
"Wait...this isn't adding up..." Hiei sighed.  
  
"You know why demons mark someone, don't you? It's because they love that someone, and want to spend forever with them," he said softly, nuzzling her face. She felt the anger inside melt to love when he spoke those words. He'd get punished later...for now, while she was still weak, she'd let him act all romantic.  
  
She smiled.  
  
"I love you, Hiei."  
  
"I love you too, Tori." He entwined her in his arms, and they rested like that for a long while.  
  
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The group walked in to spy Hiei and Tori dozing on the sofa, and they froze. Silently, Yusuke crept up behind them. Kagome was about to tell him off, but Kurama gently covered her mouth.  
  
"We'll let him find out," he whispered.  
  
Yusuke's inquisitive brown eyes peeked over the back of the couch, and almost the first thing he noticed was the two fang marks on Tori's neck. Holding in a snigger, he announced right in their ears:  
  
"HIEI! YOU DOG! WOOOHOO!"  
  
The two leapt awake like surprised cats, and Tori leapt over the back to beat the shit out of Yusuke, despite her lack of energy; it seemed to have miraculously returned.  
  
Hiei watched curiously as the two went at it, and Kuwabara attempted to stop them, but he wound up getting caught in it as well.  
  
Kurama, Kagome, and Botan went about their business, as though three of their group members trying to kill each other was a part of everyday life.  
  
Finally, Yusuke and Kuwabara managed to pin down the furious girl, and Hiei had to jump in and knock them off to stop the fight. She WAS his mate, after all. It was his job to protect her.  
  
Kagome watched with amusement as Hiei pulled Tori back onto the couch with him, and she and Kurama joined them.  
  
"So, Hiei, you've finally done it. I have to say, I'm very proud of you," said Kurama.  
  
"Ok, Kagome, NOW can you tell me what's been going on?" asked Tori.  
  
"Certainly!"  
  
She and Kurama explained the entire demon mating process, which Hiei had recently performed on Tori over the past three days.  
  
"Oooh, so THAT'S why he was acting like that," said Tori, looking up at Hiei. He smirked. "And fighting off Yugi was when he was fending off other males. I get it!" she said, snuggling up to him, "That was so sweet, Hiei. I just wish you would've told me instead of springing it on me like that, I was so confused!"  
  
"He told you he was going to mate with you, didn't he?" asked Kurama. Tori thought for a minute, and then shook her head. Kurama's eyes widened. "You mean...Hiei...you marked her without her permission??" he asked incredulously. Hiei nodded proudly.  
  
"That's hot!" piped up Yusuke, poking his head over the back of the couch again.  
  
Hiei restrained Tori so she wouldn't go and pounce on him again, but Kagome was way ahead of her.  
  
SMACK!!  
  
"Mind your own business, Yusuke," she said.  
  
"Speaking of marking me without permission..." said Tori, turning to Hiei, "YOU'RE GONNA DIE!!!" She tackled him, and yet another fight ensued on the floor. "Why the hell would you do that, you moron?? OW! Don't pull my hair!!" yelped Tori.  
  
"I already told you why!! FUCK YOU, BITCH! NO BITING!!" snarled Hiei  
  
"Aww, look at that. They're already fighting like an old married couple," said Kagome.  
  
The two wrestled and fought for quite a while, until Hiei decided it was time to stop. With an animalistic growl, he pinned Tori's arms to her sides, his fangs against her neck. She froze, panting. He released her, and made her sit next to him again. This time, Tori decided to be compliant, knowing what was going on, and she was quite tired.  
  
She sat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder while Kurama and Kagome watched Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?  
  
"Feel better?" asked Hiei.  
  
"Yup," replied Tori.  
  
'Now, for 32,000 dollars, what is the Japanese word for demon?' came Regis's voice, 'Is it, A. Hanyo, B. Rekai, C. Yokai, or D. Fung Chow?'  
  
Tori didn't care. She snuggled deeper into Hiei's neck, while Yusuke had 'fun' with the question.  
  
"Umm, I'm putting my money on B," he said.  
  
"Ok, Urameshi, you're lost. I'm guessing C," said Kuwabara.  
  
"Bet you're wrong," muttered Yusuke.  
  
"Bet I'm right!"  
  
'Umm...I'll pick...B'  
  
"Told ya!"  
  
"Just watch, Urameshi!"  
  
'...Oh...I'm terribly sorry...the answer is...'  
  
Yusuke and Kuwabara watched.  
  
'C. Yokai! Thank you for joining us! Let's go to the break! We'll be right back!'  
  
"WHAT??"  
  
"SEE?? HAHAHA! You should pay more attention in school, loser!" cheered Kuwabara, parading around the room.  
  
"Sheesh, the guy gets one question right on a stupid TV show, and he's suddenly looking for a soapbox to stand on and preach to the world," said Yusuke.  
  
Botan sat on her bed, reading A Separate Peace, while the two couples on the couch sat quietly, simply enjoying each other's company.  
  
Kurama felt Kagome's head against his shoulder, and he gently smiled at her, embracing her deeply as Yusuke and Kuwabara went off to bed. Botan turned off her lamp, grabbing the remote and silencing the TV as she climbed into bed, going straight to sleep.  
  
(The next morning...)  
  
Kurama woke up Kagome the next morning by deviously stealing a kiss from her, making her eyes snap open.  
  
"Morning to you too, Kurama," she giggled when he broke off. She glanced around the room. "I see we're the first ones up," she said, yawning.  
  
"Want to wake them up?" asked Kurama, gesturing towards Hiei and Tori, who were peacefully slumbering.  
  
"Hmm...I dunno...that's a tough one," said Kagome, "I like them better like that, they're a heck of a lot quieter."  
  
Kurama chuckled.  
  
"Well, since we gave Hiei and Tori that time yesterday, and Hiei took full advantage of it, I'd say we're going to have to make them come with us today. Besides, we could use their help," he explained. Kagome sighed.  
  
"Ok, ok, I'll wake 'em," she said, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at the other couple, quickly putting her head back on Kurama's shoulder, and both pretended to be asleep.  
  
"Wha...what the hell was that?" asked Tori sleepily as she pulled the pillow off of herself. She gave it a look and threw it back at Kagome and Kurama, not knowing that they were the ones who threw it first, and tried to go back to sleep, only to be greeted by the same pillow dropping onto her head after it hit Hiei square in the face.  
  
Slight snickering and giggling was heard across the couch, and Tori growled, grabbing the pillow and two couch cushions, pegging Kagome with them before Hiei pulled her back into his arms, trying to drop back to sleep. It was only 6:00 in the morning, after all.  
  
Somehow, that was Kagome and Kurama's wake up time, though, and they finally stood up, bringing the pillows with them, and whacking the other two to stir them.  
  
Snarling, another pillow fight began, waking the other three sleepyheads in the rooms, who quickly joined in on it, getting everyone up. "Damnit, Kagome, can't you just leave us be for ONE more hour??" asked Tori, dropping on the couch. Kagome shook her head.  
  
"Nope! We got an artifact to find! Now GET MOVING!" she ordered, trying to shove Tori off the couch. Tori firmly planted her feet in the floor.  
  
"I don't take orders from ANYONE!" she said playfully, giggling as Kagome tried again to pull her off, to no avail.  
  
"Anyone?" asked Hiei, coming right in front of her. Tori smirked.  
  
"Anyone!"  
  
Kagome stood back.  
  
"Hiei, could you get her up? Sheesh, that girl's as stubborn as a mule!" Hiei gave her a knowing smirk, and nodded.  
  
Tori crossed her legs and watched Hiei as he paced back and forth in front of her. It was all a game, but they were having fun. She giggled as he took her arm and tried to pull her up. But, she clung to the back of the couch with her other arm, and pretended to bite Hiei's hand to make him let go.  
  
Botan shooed Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama into the other room while Hiei watched Tori try to pry his hand off of her arm.  
  
"You gonna bite me?" he asked. She nodded.  
  
"Yeah, what're you gonna do about it?" Hiei looked like he was thinking.  
  
"This."  
  
He pounced on her, wrestling her arm off the back of the couch. "Get up," he commanded as he picked her up bridal style. "Gee, Tori, I thought you said you didn't take orders from ANYONE!" he said.  
  
"I don't! You cheated! That's a foul!" giggled Tori, trying to push away from him. He dropped her inside the bathroom door, shutting it.  
  
"Thank you, Hiei!" said Kagome brightly. "You really ARE the only person Tori will listen to!" She winked. "Now OUT!" She shoved him into the boys' room, closing the door to let the girls get ready, all the while hearing Tori's angry yells of protest from inside the bathroom.  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
The group walked down the street. Tori wanted to keep away from Hiei after that morning's incident, but she remembered what Kurama and Kagome had said about staying near her new mate's side for at least two days. 'Two days...' thought Tori miserably. She felt Hiei's arm snake around her waist. She tried to get it off, but he gave her a look, and she was forced to stay quiet.  
  
Kagome was giggling inwardly at the two. Tori didn't like being stuck with someone for a long period of time, but Hiei was obviously going to try to change that. She thought for a minute, wondering if perhaps Hiei was one of those more dominant demons Kurama had been talking about. If that was the case...then poor Tori would have to get used to Hiei how he was. And that would mean almost no more freedom.  
  
'Sheesh, and she never even had a choice on whether to be his mate or not,' thought Kagome.  
  
Suddenly, a beeping was heard in Botan's direction.  
  
"It's found something!" she cried.  
  
Everyone hurried over. "It's over here somewhere!" Botan hurried down the street, everyone following. Tori looked around. This street sure was familiar... "Hmm...it's inside that building," said Botan, pointing to none other than...  
  
"The Game Shop????" cried Tori. Everyone looked at her strangely. "This place belongs to Yugi's grandfather!" she said, "I can't go in there!"  
  
"Well, if you wanna be out here, where he could probably get you easier..." said Yusuke. Tori glared.  
  
"Sheesh, fine, I'll go," she snapped, reluctantly approaching the door.  
  
Kagome warily stepped in the door first, looking around. There were a couple of people in there, and they were all standing near the counter. She walked in, gesturing for the others to follow.  
  
The ringing of the bell as the door shut quickly drew attention from the counter. Kagome instantly recognized the people at the counter, who instantly recognized Tori.  
  
"Tori?" asked Tea, "what're you doing here?" Tori noticed Tea's usually small purse had an abnormal bulge in it.  
  
"Err...we're looking for something," replied Kagome.  
  
"Well, come on in! I have many cards for sale!" said Mr. Moto brightly.  
  
"No, not cards," said Botan sheepishly, "none of you would perchance have found a strange mirror recently, would you?"  
  
Everyone seemed to glance at Tea, before quickly returning their eyes to the newcomers.  
  
"Well...umm...I think I did..." said Tea, "but it's not exactly strange. It's just a normal mirror surrounded by diamonds."  
  
"That's what we're looking for, I'm afraid," said Kurama. Tea backed up, suddenly tripping on a crack in the floor and falling backwards, only to be caught by Tristan. Tori thought.  
  
"Have those kind of things been happening a lot recently?" asked Botan. Tea nodded.  
  
"I seem to have been having really bad luck. I don't know why, I haven't run under any ladders, knocked over any saltshakers, come across any black cats, or broken any mirrors!" she said, "It's weird."  
  
"What have you done in front of the mirror?" asked Tori, "Like, what have you said?"  
  
"Well, umm...I don't remember..."  
  
"When did you get it?" asked Kagome.  
  
"I found it a couple of days ago."  
  
"Who have you had conversations with whenever the mirror was out of your purse?" asked Tori.  
  
"Well...I remember talking to them about it..." She pointed to the group behind her.  
  
"And what have you said?"  
  
"Hmm...I think we were talking about how much allowance we get..."  
  
"And what did you say?" asked Kagome.  
  
"I said I get ten dollars a week."  
  
"And how much do you really get?"  
  
"What? You're not suggesting I lied, are you??" asked Tea angrily.  
  
"It would explain why you've been having bad luck," said Kurama.  
  
"How so? People tell lies all the time, and they never..."  
  
"That mirror cursed you," said Tori.  
  
"What??"  
  
"Tori, don't..."  
  
"It's ok, if they know about Yugi's powers, they can take this kind of thing," said Tori.  
  
"What kind of thing?" asked Serenity, speaking up.  
  
"That is called the Mirror of Truth. Anyone who lies while holding it becomes cursed until they come clean with the truth. The more lies you tell, the worse it gets."  
  
Tea stared with horror at her purse, quickly pulling out the mirror.  
  
"Ok, ok, so how do I break it?"  
  
"Just tell the truth, it's not that hard," said Hiei. Tea looked curiously down at the mirror.  
  
"Ok...I don't get an allowance..."  
  
Suddenly, the mirror shot out a burst of light, the diamonds reflecting it around the room.  
  
"Whoa, pretty..." said Mai.  
  
When the light subsided, Tori approached Tea.  
  
"Ok, the curse has been lifted, we need the Mirror now." Tea watched her.  
  
"Why do you need it? Do YOU wanna be cursed?" Tori rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yes, Tea, that's exactly why we're taking it," she said sarcastically, "No! We're taking so we can put it in a safe place where no one else will find it and get cursed, ok?"  
  
Tea looked from her to the mirror.  
  
"Hold on. If I give you this, you're going to leave us again," she said, "and how do you think Yugi will feel?"  
  
Tori sighed.  
  
"Tea, I told you..."  
  
"I don't care what you told me! I don't know when we're ever going to see you again! You vanished for six months, came back, disappeared for another day, and I don't know what you're up to!"  
  
"Tea!"  
  
"Tori, listen to me for once! I want you to tell us when you're coming back this time."  
  
"I can't!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Cause I don't know myself! I'm very busy right now..."  
  
"What? With your new boyfriend?" snapped Tea, nodding her head at Hiei. Tori glared.  
  
"Hiei's got nothing to do with this right now...and he's NOT my boyfriend!"  
  
A silence went over the room as Tori continued.  
  
"He's more than that, so shut up and keep your nose out of it, got it??" Tea's eyes widened.  
  
"He's MORE than your boyfriend??" she asked suspiciously.  
  
"I said leave it alone!" snapped Tori. Hiei stepped up, taking her arm.  
  
"Tori, I think you need to calm down..."  
  
Kagome came up on her other side.  
  
"Listen, Tori's not leaving yet," she said, "if that's what you're worried about. We really need that mirror, though, for everyone's safety."  
  
Tea once more gave a hopeless glance at the mirror, before reluctantly holding it out to Kagome. With a betrayed glare at Tori, she turned and ran up the stairs behind the counter.  
  
Tristan worriedly followed her.  
  
"Sheesh, what's up with her?" asked Yusuke.  
  
Tori approached Mai and Serenity.  
  
"Tea still wants you to stay with us," muttered Mai quietly, "she was probably more worried about you than Yugi. That night...after you left...she cried a long time. Not even Tristan could calm her down. She said she felt like we'd betrayed you. But now, after seeing you again, she thinks you're the one betraying us."  
  
Tori sighed.  
  
"You really should be thanking them," she pointed to the group behind her, "If they hadn't forced me and Kagome to come along with them, I probably wouldn't have ever come back."  
  
"Ok, that's number nine," said Botan, slipping the Mirror carefully into her pack.  
  
"Let's go," said Yusuke, "We still got one more."  
  
"One more until what?" asked Serenity.  
  
Kagome looked at Tori. She sighed.  
  
"Fine! Fine, we'll tell them!" she said.  
  
So, Kagome and Tori filled in the group on all that had happened, and why they had the collars, and the artifact searching, excluding only the mating, with Yusuke piping in every few minutes.  
  
They stood in shock when the story was finished.  
  
"So...you've still gotta find the Blade thing?" asked Duke.  
  
"Yeah..." said Tori, "and Kaiba's the one who's got it."  
  
"That's why we're going to KaibaCorp now," said Kagome.  
  
"Hey, wait, we can help," said Mai.  
  
"How?" asked Yusuke.  
  
"Tori's probably forgotten that we know Kaiba just as well...and probably better...than she does. If you guys need help, we're here."  
  
"Ok, thanks, y'all," said Tori happily.  
  
They all headed down to the large building, devising a plan along the way.  
  
"We're going to have to split up, since it will seem suspicious about a huge group of people coming in to see him," said Botan.  
  
"Yeah, you're right."  
  
So, they split into four smaller groups: Yusuke, Joey, Tori – Serenity, Kurama, Hiei – Kuwabara, Duke, Mai – Kagome, Botan, Bakura (don't forget, Yugi, Tea, and Tristan aren't there)  
  
They all climbed into the elevators, going to different floors to check things out. Suddenly, Botan stopped the elevator at one particular floor, before anyone left.  
  
"Wait a minute! These will help!" she said, racing out the door into what seemed to be a supply room. She came back a few minutes later, carrying four walkie-talkies. "Here." She passed them to the four groups.  
  
"Wait...how'd you know these were here?" asked Kagome.  
  
"It says Supply Room on the button," said Botan simply.  
  
So, everyone headed to different floors.  
  
()()()()()()()()()()  
  
"Mai! Can we stop?? We've been walking for hours!" complained Duke.  
  
"Oh, quit whining! You're such a baby, it's only been twenty minutes," said Kuwabara. Suddenly, he stopped. "EEEE!"  
  
"What?"  
  
Kuwabara pointed in the dark hallway as a small thing raced across the floor, disappearing into a hole.  
  
"You...were scared...of a mouse..." said Duke, sweat dropping, "Why did we get stuck with him again?" he asked, flipping his hair.  
  
"Shut up, primadonna!"  
  
"How about both of you can it before I rearrange your faces?? You're giving me a freaking headache!!" said Mai. They shut up.  
  
(With the YJT group)  
  
"See anything?" asked Tori.  
  
"Nope. This hallway's deserted," said Yusuke.  
  
"Like your brain? Don't forget we're on the top floor!" said Joey, "This is only Kaiba's floor!"  
  
"Like I was supposed to know that, idiot?" asked Yusuke, turning to face him angrily.  
  
"You wanna say that again to my face, weakling?" asked Joey.  
  
"Sure, do, idiot, or should I say, MORONIC idiot, to quote Hiei..."  
  
"Alright, that's it, LET'S GO! I've had ENOUGH of you!" snapped Joey.  
  
"If you guys don't shut up, he'll hear us!" hissed Tori from way up ahead. The two gave each other glares full of fire, before reluctantly following.  
  
"This isn't over," whispered Yusuke.  
  
"No, we're taking it outside as soon as this is over," growled Joey.  
  
Tori shook her head, hoping the others were having better luck.  
  
(With the KBB group)  
  
"Hey, you guys! Here's something!" called Botan. Kagome and Bakura hurried over.  
  
"Whoa! It's a computer room!" said Bakura.  
  
"A BIG computer room..." said Kagome. Botan walked in, looking around.  
  
"There's no one here," she said, walking up to a huge monitor, "I wonder what he's been working on..." She pressed the mouse, and suddenly, a huge picture of the Winged Dragon of Ra flashed on the screen. She and Kagome nearly screamed, but Bakura examined the text on the card.  
  
"It's Ra..." he whispered.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Ra, the Winged Dragon of Ra. It's a very powerful Duel Monsters card."  
  
"What the heck is that stuff?" asked Kagome, staring at the text.  
  
"It's the Egyptian language. Not many people can read it," explained Bakura.  
  
"Ok...so he's been staring at a dragon. What else?" asked Kagome. Botan flipped the screens.  
  
"This." What appeared was a large picture of the Demonic Blade, followed by English text underneath it.  
  
"It's explaining about the history of the Blade and what it can do," said Kagome.  
  
"Well, we already know that! Tori got a taste of its power, remember?" asked Botan.  
  
"Yeah, but this isn't helping much," said Kagome, "It's not like we can find the Blade in here."  
  
"I don't see why we all didn't go up to the top floor to face Kaiba together and get it back," said Botan.  
  
"Because, we had to sneak past the guards, which was easier with smaller groups," said Bakura.  
  
Botan picked up her walkie-talkie and spoke into it.  
  
"Tori, Yusuke, and Joey, do you read?"  
  
"Botan, you don't need to use that," came Tori's voice, "but yeah, we read."  
  
"We haven't found anything except the page he's been looking at for information on the Demonic Blade."  
  
"Ok...so there's nothing on that floor."  
  
"Nope."  
  
Suddenly, Kagome got tackled from behind, being wrestled to the ground.  
  
"OW! Get offa me!!" she cried.  
  
Kurama heard Kagome's voice over the talkie, and grabbed it from Serenity.  
  
"Kagome!! Are you all right??" he said. No answer. "Kagome!"  
  
"We better get back to the elevators," said Hiei. They raced back in the direction they'd come.  
  
"You can't touch my brother's stuff!" came the cry of a little kid. Bakura gasped.  
  
"Mokuba!!" he said, pulling the furious child off poor Kagome's back. The boy stopped.  
  
"Bakura?? Why are you here??" he said, "With them??"  
  
"Mokuba, they're friends. We need something from your brother," said Bakura. Mokuba glared at Kagome and Botan.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It's a long story. Do you know of a sword your brother has?" asked Bakura.  
  
"Yeah, but why do you need that?"  
  
"It's not safe with him," said Botan. Mokuba turned to her.  
  
"How would you know?? My brother's got the highest security possible! There's no way anyone's getting it!"  
  
"We don't mean that way," said Kagome, "hasn't Kaiba been acting strange recently?"  
  
"Oh...well, now that you mention it...he's gotten meaner. He never wants to talk to me anymore."  
  
"That's one of the Blade's powers. It can easily affect the mind of its possessor if that possessor happens to be human. It's going to kill him if we don't get it away from him," said Botan, "That's why it's called the Demonic Blade. Demons are only supposed to wield it."  
  
"What're you talking about?? There's no such thing as demons!" said Mokuba.  
  
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Kurama leapt in, in a fighting stance, his rose whip out, with Hiei behind him, sword drawn.  
  
"Kagome!" he said, "are you ok? We heard you yell."  
  
Kagome walked up to him.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Kaiba's little brother attacked us," she said, gesturing behind her to the small boy staring at the newcomers like they were ghosts.  
  
Hiei sheathed his sword as Serenity came in.  
  
"Serenity??" asked Mokuba, "You're in on this, too??"  
  
"Yeah. Mokuba, we need that sword from your brother, now," she said urgently.  
  
Mokuba looked at Hiei.  
  
"Is he a...demon?" he asked warily. Hiei's crimson eyes watched him curiously.  
  
"That's not important right now..." started Kurama.  
  
"Yes it is, he can hold that sword safely, can't he? That's what you were saying before," said Mokuba.  
  
Kurama sighed.  
  
"Yes, he's a demon, and I'm one, too..."  
  
"You don't look like it."  
  
"He doesn't need to," said Hiei.  
  
"Ok, ok. But I can't give you the sword. Big Bro always carries it around now, kinda like he does." Mokuba pointed to Hiei.  
  
"With a sheath?"  
  
"Yeah, that's the word. He's up in his office right now, doing some research. I'm not allowed to bug him." Mokuba cast a downward glance to the floor.  
  
"Ok, then, that's where Yusuke, Joey, and Tori are right now," said Kurama.  
  
Botan spoke into her walkie-talkie again.  
  
"Tori, can you hear me?"  
  
"Yeah, what was all that before? I heard Kagome."  
  
"She's fine. We've got a new lead. Kaiba's little brother has just told us that Kaiba always keeps the Blade in a sheath that he wears all the time. Are you anywhere near him right now?"  
  
"Yeah, we're just down the hall from the office, according to Joey."  
  
"Can you wait for us? We're all gonna have to come up there," said Botan, "We've also discovered something Koenma didn't tell us."  
  
"What?"  
  
"The Blade can only be carried safely by a demon. If a human holds it, it will slowly take them over, bit by bit."  
  
"Right, ok. You guys hurry up here, or...HOLY SHIT! RUN, YUSUKE!"  
  
"What? Tori!! What is it??" asked Botan.  
  
"I ain't runnin'! He's not so tough!" came Joey's voice.  
  
"Yeah! We can take 'im!" followed Yusuke.  
  
Tori's scream was all that was heard before the connection shut off.  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
Tori the Hanyou: Oopsie, didn't realize it went on so long! Sorry, but it went on to 17 stinkin' pages! A NEW RECORD!! WOOPEE!!! Well, this is a pretty bad cliffie, haven't done one in about...5 CHAPPIES!! ANOTHER RECORD!! YAAAAY! Okies, enough rambling, I'm gonna give u guys the preview, and then I'm outta here! CYA!!!  
  
CHAPTER TITLE PREVIEW: The Last Artifact 


	19. The Last Artifact

Tori the Hanyou: Wow! Chapter 19! Who'd have thought I'd make it this far? Oh well. Since that was a pretty bad cliffie I left y'all on, I'll just do the review answers, disclaimer, and get on with what you've been waiting for, okies?  
  
FaNged-1: I like your username! Heh, I explained that to Kayzie too. It's a screw up. You caught me! I'M A BAD AUTHORESS! (Wails) I tried to fix it in this chapter, and I'm hoping it'll stop the questions. Enjoy!  
  
Kira the Hanyou: Well, uhh, I'm not really planning on any YYH and Inuyasha crossovers anytime soon, but I'm glad u like my stories! -; I suppose I could put you in here somewhere, heck, I did it for Kayzie (look below). Thanks for giving me that info. If I find a place to put you, I will. I've got a very fun ending planned out after this chapter. This might be my last action segment of the story. But, if I can't put you in here, I'll try to find you a place in the sequel (Yes, there WILL be one! - I'm soo happy!!) So bear with me please.  
  
Kayzie Kaiba: No, u didn't miss anything. Heh, I needed to separate them, just for this lil' battle thing. I guess you can call me a bad authoress, but I'm gonna try to fix that mistake in this chapter. Thanks a lot for dedicating your story to me, I'm honored, really, I am. I read it, and it looks very good, so keep up the good work.  
  
Itsabobthing92: I know someone's usually with Inuyasha, but you won't find out what happens to him until I write the sequel, which, OBTW, I haven't decided on a name for yet. Fighting Back 2 sounds so uncreative, and that's not my style. I hope your cat's cooled down by now! Another BTW, it's spelled discipline, lol. (Don't mind me, I'm a spelling nut) But you're funny, lol! P.S. Yeah, I'm one of those evil writers. -;  
  
Black Mage Tsucasa, pinkjingling: Thanks a lot!  
  
Kanna Fan: Thanks a lot! To tell you the truth, I already HAVE a prequel written. My story, YuGiOh! Trapped in the Next Dimension, pretty much sums up how Tori and Yugi got together in the first place. I know, Hiei rocks, doesn't he? As for Yugi, he was actually upstairs in his room when they went to visit the Game Shop. You don't think he'd need a rest after being attacked by the Dragon of the Darkness Flame??? SHEESH!! Lol, jk! I was hoping to make this story a 20-shot, but now I see it's gonna be a bit longer than that. Heh...  
  
UltaAnimeFangurl2004: Yeah, I think it'll only be a couple more chapters, cuz I have some really fun stuff I wanna throw in before it ends (smiles evilly).  
  
Tomboy124352: I don't get what you mean by lighten up, but as for the YTJ group, if you mean the Yugi, Tristan, Joey group, Yugi and Tristan are at Yugi's house, and Joey's with the others. If you mean Yusuke, Tori, and Joey, you'll find out in this chapter!  
  
Starangel4899: Well, at least you made it to the next round! Congrats! As for the club thing, I'll check it out, okies?  
  
DISCLAIMER: Read the previous disclaimer, cuz I'm not saying it again...MAN, this gets annoying...  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 19: The Last Artifact  
  
As soon as the click sounded, Hiei was gone, shooting through the hallways, murder glinting in his fierce eyes.  
  
The others did their best to follow, but by the time they were out in the hallway, he was already leaping up the stairs, not bothering with the 'stupid human electronic transportation device' translation: the elevator.  
  
(With the YTJ group)  
  
Tori froze, dropping the talkie as the new threat approached, his Blade drawn. Yusuke and Joey stood in front of her, fists held up angrily, daring the tall duelist to attack them.  
  
His blue eyes flashed with confidence, and Yusuke let out a small growl.  
  
Tori knew they were in trouble. The Blade could easily possess either one of them if he swung it. She didn't know what to think, her mind felt only one thing: fear. Now she was wishing she'd let Hiei come with her; the guy had been positively adamant about letting her go by herself with Yusuke and Joey to the top floor where the most danger was.  
  
Kurama had been insistent he and her have some separated time; it was only a little while, he'd reasoned. Still, Hiei had been angry about it, mentally threatening Tori about wanting to separate before it was time to. Naturally, she'd ignored him, still not grasping the fact of what he really could do to her if she didn't obey him.  
  
Now, more than ever, she was wishing she HAD obeyed. But, of course, she'd never seen Yusuke's powers in full swing. She knew Joey didn't possess any special powers. Sure, he was a good duelist, but that wasn't going to save them from Kaiba. She'd seen him street fight, though, and he wasn't a pushover. She didn't think that'd help much, sadly.  
  
As Kaiba came closer, Yusuke examined his features, something he did to better understand his opponent. This was actually a technique he'd picked up from Kurama. What he noticed in Kaiba's look seemed to surprise him. Kaiba wasn't giving off a regular human aura. His eyes suddenly weren't the blue he'd seen before, but a violent purple seemed to mix with them. He remembered what he'd heard from Botan over the talkie: the Blade would slowly possess a non-demon holder, and decided that was the reason for his strange transformation.  
  
He glared, readying his punch, but Joey shot forward first.  
  
"EAT THIS, KAIBA!!" he yelled, angrily throwing the payback blow for all the insults Kaiba had sent him. But, it never hit. Kaiba was gone and behind him before Joey came within two feet. The Blade flew down, and Yusuke acted faster than Tori had ever seen him before, sliding around Kaiba and dragging Joey to the floor to avoid the deadly slash that would've taken his head off.  
  
Instead of through Joey's neck, the sword stuck in the wall, and Kaiba pulled to get it out, but that gave Yusuke as much time as he needed to throw a Spirit Punch at his opponent's stomach. Kaiba flew backwards, straight for Tori. She snapped out of it, just in time, leaping backwards to avoid the collision. He skidded on the floor, stopping at her feet.  
  
"Tori! MOVE!" yelled Yusuke. Too late. Kaiba quickly recovered, grabbing Tori's foot and dragging her to the ground. She yelped in surprise, but Kaiba suddenly let loose a howl of pain and released her.  
  
A long gash covered his upper arm, and Tori quickly scrambled away, running straight into Hiei's outstretched arms. Hiei put her behind him, glaring daggers at Kaiba, his sword slightly dripping with blood. He growled, his crimson orbs meeting the now violet eyes of Kaiba. Yusuke stood behind the duelist, fingers pointed in the gun formation. "Hiei, I suggest you two get outta the way, unless you want to be French fried with the freak there!" he said, gesturing to Kaiba.  
  
Hiei knew perfectly well how powerful Yusuke's Spirit Gun was, and Yusuke wasn't lying. He turned, grabbed Tori, and the two suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind Joey, who jumped in surprise. Yusuke charged up the shot, while Kaiba recovered from Hiei's blow, standing up to face the challengers.  
  
"Heh...you really think your little flashlight's gonna stop me?" he sneered, speaking for the first time, and Tori and Joey noticed his voice wasn't at all normal. Yusuke smirked.  
  
"Spirit-"  
  
"WAIT!! Don't!!!" cried a voice, a girl's voice. Everyone turned, and a girl ran past Joey, Hiei, Tori, and Yusuke, standing in front of Kaiba, arms out. "Don't hurt him! Please!" she cried. The four of them stared. The girl looked no more than 14, and she had a fierce determination in her eyes as she faced Yusuke furiously, apparently trying to protect the boy behind her.  
  
"Who the heck are you?" asked Joey.  
  
"Kayzie, stay out of this," snarled Kaiba, still eyeing Yusuke's glowing fingertips. The girl turned to Kaiba.  
  
"Seto, what's the matter with you?? You've been acting FAR too weird! Don't go picking fights!!" she snapped.  
  
"SETO!!!" came another voice, younger. Kaiba turned to see Mokuba run down the hallway towards him. Before anyone could react, he'd thrown his arms around the elder Kaiba's waist, crying uncontrollably.  
  
Tori looked at Yusuke.  
  
"Put it down," she said quietly. He glanced at her.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Hello?? That's Kaiba's little brother! You don't wanna go shooting two innocent people!" she said angrily, "though I'm not sure who the girl is."  
  
"Seto, please stop!! I don't know what's wrong with you, but please stop!!" sobbed Mokuba. Kaiba's eyes returned to normal for only a minute as he gazed with worry at his younger sibling. He softly rested his hand on the head buried in his chest.  
  
"Mokuba..." he said quietly. The others came up behind them, stopping to give them some space. Kagome saw, with relief, that Tori didn't seemed injured.  
  
The girl called Kayzie watched Kaiba with a slightly hurt gaze. He looked at her, as though just realizing she was there. "What the heck are you two doing out here??" he said angrily. "These people are dangerous! Go in my office now!" he ordered. They stared at him, not seeming to register what he said. "Did you hear me??"  
  
"They're not dangerous, Seto..." muttered Mokuba. Kaiba looked down at the untidy, black-haired boy. "They're my friends, and they came to help you."  
  
He gave Mokuba a confused look.  
  
"Help me?? I don't need help with anything! What the heck WOULD I need help with?" he snapped.  
  
"That..." Mokuba pointed to the Demonic Blade like it was the vilest thing in the world.  
  
"My sword?" he asked angrily.  
  
"Mokuba's right," said Kayzie. Kaiba rounded on her. "Ever since you found it, you've been acting...strange..." He shook his head.  
  
"I don't know what's gotten into you two, but Mokuba," he looked down at his brother, "I know you've been poisoned by these people's nonsense." He gestured around to the demons and humans surrounding him.  
  
"It's not nonsense!!" snapped Mokuba, tearing up again, "They're right!! Put that thing down now!! Or give it to him!!" He pointed to Hiei, who looked surprised. Kaiba did, too.  
  
"Why him?"  
  
Mokuba fell silent. He knew his brother didn't like to believe in things such as demons, and he'd blow his stack if he found out Mokuba did.  
  
"Because...just do it, please..." he said sadly. Kaiba looked at a loss. He hated when his brother cried, mostly when it was his fault. He shook his head suddenly, feeling the power gripping him again. His sword hand raised, and his other made a move to push the little kid off of him.  
  
"Mokuba...run..." he muttered, making the boy gasp. Kayzie jumped forward and pulled the younger Kaiba from his brother, backing off just as the sword swung.  
  
Tori took Kayzie by the shoulder.  
  
"Better go to his office and hide," she advised. Kayzie looked painfully back as the purple returned to the KaibaCorp President's eyes.  
  
"But..."  
  
"Go, we can handle this." Kayzie hesitated.  
  
"Did you hear her? Move it!" snapped Hiei. Kayzie gave a small choke and dragged a protestant Mokuba away from the danger, towards the office. "Go with them," Hiei muttered to Tori. She stared at him like he was nuts.  
  
"What?? No way! I'm gonna..."  
  
"Don't tell me what you are and aren't gonna do!" snarled Hiei, making Tori jump, "You've had to go through this already, so get out of the way! NOW!!" Tori still didn't move, she stared helplessly at Joey or Yusuke, hoping they'd reason with him. Kurama was on the other side of the unpredictable Kaiba, so he couldn't help her. "Don't make me force you..." he muttered, in the most dangerous tone he had, and damn, that was dangerous.  
  
Tori felt a chill down her spine as he spoke the words, and glared furiously at him. 'I'll punish you for being disobedient later...for now, get out of harm's way,' he said in her head, making Tori's eyes widen. Punish her???  
  
Kaiba seemed to have lost the mental battle against the Blade's control, and he'd leapt at Joey. No more time. It was now or never. Join the battle, or hide. Tori didn't care if she made him angry or not (big mistake), but she knew what it was like to face the Blade, and there wasn't any escape, once it had you...  
  
She stood, indecisive, until Hiei growled angrily, picking her up bridal style and leaping out of the way as Joey was flung into the wall where they'd been standing. He raced toward the office, dropping her inside. "Stay..." he snarled, slamming the door. Tori stood up furiously, pounding the door and rattling the doorknob, but it was locked.  
  
Hiei pulled his sword tip out of the door lock, and raced back to the battle; knowing she was safe, nothing held him back now...  
  
Yusuke was able to knock Kaiba in the back of the head with his Spirit Punch. Kurama had jumped in, sending one of his plant seeds at Kaiba, growing it quickly, commanding it to grab him. It did, and he stood, startled for a minute. He quickly recovered, and an evil smirk appeared on his face.  
  
"You really think this will hold me, Yoko?" he said, snickering. Everyone froze, especially Kurama.  
  
"What the..."  
  
Suddenly, the plant split down the center, and Kaiba leapt out. The Blade glowed purple as he slashed it at the temporarily shocked fox demon...  
  
"KURAMA!!" screamed Kagome as he fell. Kaiba leapt past Yusuke and a knocked-out Joey, running towards the stairs to the roof.  
  
"How the hell did he know?" muttered Kuwabara. Kagome knelt down near her mate, shaking him gently.  
  
"Kurama?? Kurama!! Damnit! Answer me, please!!" she cried. A small moan answered her, as the kitsune picked himself up off the floor.  
  
"Kagome..." he muttered.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"...Run..."  
  
He leapt up, the blank stare appearing in his emerald gaze. Kagome screamed, and everyone else jumped back, horrified. Kurama was gone.  
  
Yusuke came up behind, preparing to knock him back to his senses with an old-fashioned punch. But he never made it. Kurama's Rose Whip appeared around Yusuke's arms, throwing him into the wall.  
  
Hiei stared, dazed. Kurama...taken under control...who'd have thought? He shook it off as Yusuke crashed into the wall, and leapt at the kitsune.  
  
"Wake up, fox!" he snarled, moving lightning quick, pressing his sword against Kurama's throat. He was unfazed. An evil smile pulled at his lips, turning his face into the most horrible look anyone had ever seen. Hiei himself was shocked inwardly.  
  
"Go ahead, kill me, Hiei," he snickered, "You'll only be killing your best friend. We don't want that now, do we?"  
  
"SHUT UP!" Hiei roared. Kurama's smirk deepened, as Hiei hadn't noticed the Death Plant approaching him from behind...  
  
(Meanwhile)  
  
Tori heard Kagome's cry for Kurama, she'd heard everything, pressing her ligress ears against the locked office door. Silent tears poured down her face; Kurama was suffering the same thing she had. She heard Hiei yell at him, before Mokuba tugged at her sleeve.  
  
"Tori? Is it safe?" he asked. She shook her head, trying to hide the damn tears.  
  
"Far from it. But don't worry, everything will be fine," she said quietly. Kayzie sat in a chair, silently sobbing as well. Kaiba was possessed by his own sword. She couldn't do a thing about it, either. She couldn't fight, not against him.  
  
Tori slid to the floor, staring at it. Suddenly, her heart went into a painful wrench.  
  
"Hiei!" she gasped.  
  
(Outside)  
  
Hiei gritted his teeth to prevent a cry from escaping his throat. Kurama's Death Plant had gotten him. Botan had grabbed Kagome, Mai, Bakura, Serenity, and Duke and high-tailed it back to the stairs. Kagome was screaming the whole time for Kurama, trying desperately to reach him, trying to free herself. The only one she saw was Kurama; the only one she felt was Kurama. She HAD to get to him, not caring if it meant hurting the one who was trying to protect her from him.  
  
Hiei tried to move his sword hand, but it felt paralyzed. He'd kill Kaiba...for first turning Tori against him, and now Kurama. Yusuke was powering up his Spirit Gun, and Kuwabara was trying to hack at the Death Plant to free Hiei. Normally, he could've cared less, but Hiei was really the only one who could take Kurama on, face-to-face.  
  
Joey, in the meantime, had finally woken up, and Kurama's Rose Whip had wrapped about his wrist, the thorns digging in. He, too, was trying not to show weakness by letting a sound escape his throat. Yusuke took aim at the writhing plant.  
  
It was horrible. They were a team. The four of them were a team. Now one of them was fighting the others, turning that foursome into a threesome trying to free the last.  
  
"SPIRIT GUN!!"  
  
(BAM!)  
  
The shot fired, incinerating the plant.  
  
Hiei fell, but the plant's spikes had injected him with a temporary paralyzing potion, and he fought it as best as he could, trying to knock Kurama out, but the kitsune suddenly released Joey, leaping over them, running for the roof.  
  
"Oh, no you don't!" yelled Yusuke, chasing after him. Kuwabara followed. Joey made a move to follow, but he turned back to Hiei.  
  
"Need a hand?" he asked. Hiei glared at him like he usually did to Kuwabara.  
  
"No, you insolent human, I don't. Now get out of my face before you resume your knocked-out state," he snapped.  
  
"Jeez, someone needs an attitude adjustment. Ok, then, gimme a call when you do," said Joey.  
  
"That won't be anytime soon!" snarled Hiei at the retreating human's back. He stood wearily, shaking the paralysis off and following the party to the roof.  
  
(In the office)  
  
Tori went back to the opposite wall, turning to face the door. Gritting her teeth, infuriated, she leapt forward, charging at the door with her super speed.  
  
Kayzie watched, sitting next to Mokuba on the couch.  
  
"You think she'll break it?" she asked. Mokuba shrugged.  
  
She charged forward, feeling every angry feeling towards Hiei fueling her speed. Perfect, exactly what she needed. She turned her shoulder, bracing for the impact.  
  
It came; she slammed into the cedar door, snapping off the hinges on the other side, throwing the door out of her way, snarling to herself.  
  
"Try containing me now, Hiei." She looked around, seeing no one. She noticed the roof staircase door was open. Mokuba and Kayzie stepped warily out. "Mokuba, where's that lead?" Tori pointed to the open door.  
  
"The roof, I think. Seto never lets me play up there."  
  
"I'm going. If you two want, you can come, but I think...err...Seto," she tried to say it with the best tone possible, "would prefer if you stayed here."  
  
The two looked at her like she was nuts.  
  
"You think we're gonna stay here while he's up there getting hurt? Hell no!" snapped Kayzie.  
  
"I agree! Whether you two like it or not, I'm going!!" he snapped, running towards the door.  
  
Tori smirked.  
  
"I always knew I liked that kid for a reason," she muttered, running after him. Kayzie followed.  
  
(On the roof)  
  
Yusuke dodge-rolled out of the way as Kurama's Rose Whip lashed out at him, firing his second Spirit Gun bullet at him. Kurama moved like liquid, though, and he jumped up, flipping, landing behind Kuwabara and throwing a seed at the unsuspecting human.  
  
Before Yusuke could say a word, the vines emerged from the seed, wrapping tightly around Kuwabara, knocking him to the ground. Kurama moved in for the kill, but Yusuke yelled out,  
  
"Hey, Kurama! That's not your style! You NEVER attack someone while they're helpless!" he said in that annoyingly cocky tone of his. It worked; Kurama turned on Yusuke instead, his blank green eyes searching out Yusuke's form, wondering what to do. Hiei leapt for the immobile fox, his sword drawn. He'd have to hit him over the head with the hilt, just to knock him out.  
  
What he wasn't aware of was Kaiba's fast-approaching form from behind...  
  
Tori was first out of the stairs to see the awful sight. The glowing Blade struck deeply into Hiei's shoulder, knocking him out of the air and to the ground. Yusuke and Kuwabara stared in horror. Hiei had been their last hope...and now he too was gone...  
  
Tori became rigid, unable to move, her throat gone dry. Hiei...  
  
Kayzie and Mokuba came up behind her to see Yusuke and Kuwabara being cornered by Kurama and Kaiba. Tori trembled violently as Hiei, too, rose from the ground, snarling and thrashing his head about, trying to shake off the Blade's control.  
  
She knew it wouldn't work...  
  
Kurama couldn't escape it...  
  
He wouldn't either...  
  
Tori smelt Kagome's scent as she raced up the stairs, her face tearstained. She drew out the Hyper Bow, aiming for Kaiba, her face contorted with rage.  
  
Kayzie stopped her.  
  
"No! He's not responsible!! It's the sword's fault!" she cried.  
  
"If he drops the sword, it will release its control on everyone," said Botan, panting, running up the stairs. Tori was silent, still in shock from witnessing Hiei's mental imprisonment...something she never knew was possible...  
  
"He's gone..." she muttered.  
  
"Who?" asked Botan.  
  
Tori shakily raised a finger to Hiei's form as it approached the cornered Spirit Detectives. Botan looked, and nearly screamed.  
  
"Botan...what would happen if the sword were destroyed?" asked Tori quietly.  
  
"I don't know...I don't think it can be broken...it never has..."  
  
"Guess there's a first time for everything," snarled Tori, bringing out her claws. Kagome stood next to her, Hyper Bow in hand.  
  
"Let's go," she said. The girls took off across the asphalt roof, heading straight for the boys. Tori felt her ligress emerging. She transformed into her half-cat form, racing at Kaiba with everything she could muster, not hearing Botan's screams to stay back. Kagome leapt at him, Bow ready to knock him over the head...  
  
CRACK!  
  
She was frozen in midair, as a VERY familiar Rose Whip was wrapped around her arms, the thorns digging painfully into her fragile skin. She looked in horror as Kurama's horrible smirk stared back at her.  
  
Tori hadn't noticed her friend's absence; she was headed for the one thing that would end it all...the one thing that had hurt both her and her loved ones...not to mention her mate...the bond between mates was forcing her on with absolutely every ounce of power she had...  
  
Closer...  
  
She was blinded to all else but the Blade...  
  
The horrid thing that had to be destroyed...  
  
Her claws itched to dice it in half...  
  
The wind whistled in her sensitive ears...deafening her to all...  
  
SLAM!  
  
She was thrown with the greatest force off course, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling in that oh-so-familiar way...and she realized with horror...  
  
"Hiei," she whimpered, as she skidded to the asphalt. She wasn't alone. Hiei had her flipped onto her back, his sword pressed against her throat.  
  
That was it. Her rage was gone...replaced by softness for her mate... She stared helplessly into his crimson orbs, her muscles relaxing in the way they did when he touched her...when he held her...even like this... 'Damn mark!' she thought.  
  
Hiei's look was positive murder. The only looks she'd gotten from him had never been like this. This one, he was actually MEANING to kill her.  
  
She trembled, gulping. She'd failed. She'd failed Hiei. She'd failed her friends. The only thing to do was hope he'd make it quick... A quick death...something totally unlike Hiei...  
  
Suddenly, she felt it, her ligress freeing herself from him. She seemed to be saying to her, 'If you won't do this, I'll do it myself!'  
  
She leapt into possession of Tori, forcing her to throw off the demon. She leapt to her feet, snarling and roaring. Hiei jumped back, his sword ready. She was going to try her best to free him, even if it meant hurting him a little bit. Hey, he needed a bit of messing up, anyway. She dodged his charge.  
  
Kagome felt herself drowning in Kurama's mind trick. Her eyelids drooped as swirls danced before her, hypnotizing her, holding her. She felt like she could simply watch them forever. Her grip on the Hyper Bow loosened greatly, until it fell from her delicate fingertips, falling to the ground, making its hollow clatter; the clatter of a fallen fighter. It echoed through the area, attracting the attention of a certain ligress-possessed girl.  
  
Tori turned to see Kurama had a hold of Kagome, both mentally and physically. She was helpless. Tori turned her back to her opponent and raced for Kagome. Her friend was in trouble right now.  
  
She jumped, claws ready, until a substance wrapped about her arms, trapping her. She jerked her head up to hear the mighty screeching roar of none other than the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. It glared down at her; it's eyes glinting with evil. She froze, terror filling her mind, gripping her tightly and dragging her under...  
  
"MIND CRUSH!!!" yelled a familiarly deep voice. Pulses flew across the roof, heading for the giant black creature. The dragon howled with pain, swaying on the spot, collapsing, its great head hitting the ground, its coils releasing its captive.  
  
Tori had already felt the great energy drain from being in the Dragon's clutches. She looked wearily up to see a familiar face. Amethyst eyes smiled down at her, the Millennium Puzzle flashing in the streaks of sunlight barely showing through the clouds.  
  
"Yugi?" she asked wearily. Surprisingly, he shook his head.  
  
"It's me." His deep voice entered her head, stirring memories.  
  
"Y-Yami??" she gasped. He smiled, helping her to her feet.  
  
"STUPID PHARAOH!! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!!" yelled yet another sinister voice. Both turned their heads to see none other than Bakura firing shadow blasts at the plant that held Kagome.  
  
"Bakura?" asked Tori. Yami once more shook his head.  
  
"Bakura's Yami, Ryou." She raised an eyebrow.  
  
"He's HELPING us??"  
  
A snarl from behind her made her drop to the ground, but Yami swiftly jumped into the air, sending a shadow blast of his own towards the possessed demon. Hiei skidded to a halt, glaring up at the Pharaoh of Egypt, his crimson eyes flashing with murder. He dodged, leaping up at Yami. Yami smirked; the blast reflected off the roof, heading straight up...  
  
It struck...  
  
Hiei fell once more...  
  
"What did I just say, Pharaoh????" yelled Ryou's voice across the roof. Yami quickly looked from Tori to Hiei.  
  
"Are you coming?" he asked. She shook her head.  
  
"Hiei needs me now," she said. Yami nodded, understanding, and raced off to help Ryou.  
  
Kuwabara and Yusuke were holding off Kaiba's attacks as best as they could, but Kuwabara couldn't hold his sword much longer, and Yusuke was out of Spirit Bullets. He'd resorted to punches, but they weren't doing much, especially since they weren't hitting that often.  
  
Yami and Ryou fought together, trapping the enslaved kitsune, firing blast after blast. He moved gracefully, his plants attacking them both, and doing a damn good job, but the Yamis weren't beaten yet. Yami held his hands out, both of them, apparently meaning to do a huge blast.  
  
"You think you can hit me? Try," snickered Kurama in that horrid, sinister tone that wasn't his own.  
  
Yami smirked inwardly.  
  
He fired two blasts at once, the huge shadow blast heading for Kurama, the other one coming out of his Puzzle, heading straight for the Rose Whip coils that held Kagome. It struck while Kurama was distracted with dodging the huge shadow shot.  
  
The vines dropped Kagome, and she collapsed to the ground like a rag doll. Her eyes were closed, still held by Kurama's spell. Her arms were bleeding from the thorns that had impaled her.  
  
Kurama smirked at Yami as the shadow power flew past him. "Can't even hit me, how sad..."  
  
"He can't, but maybe I can!" said Ryou, reflecting the blast back at him. Kurama's eyes widened as the blast struck.  
  
He stood, rigid for a moment, before his eyes closed painfully tight. His teeth gritted together, and his hands gripped his head, shaking it forcefully. A change came over him. His red hair became streaked silver, everything about him changed, until none other than Yoko Kurama sat in his place, snarling.  
  
"Release me...NOW!!!" he roared, rearing his head back, his fangs showing as the legendary fox bandit fought to release himself from the powerful mental grip. His ears pressed flat against his head, his tail swished in irritation. With another fox-like howl, a purple shadow emanated from his golden eyes, hovering in the air for a second before vanishing.  
  
Yoko collapsed, whispering mentally to Kurama, 'You owe me...' before both passed out.  
  
Tori felt the tears sting her eyes as Hiei didn't stir. Yami approached her, slightly panting from his fight with both Kurama and Hiei.  
  
"He hasn't woken?"  
  
She shook her head, the tears spilling over. He frowned, kneeling down next to the unconscious pyre. As he did, the demon shook horribly. Yami quickly stepped back.  
  
"Hiei?" asked Tori hopefully. His face contorted with anger, his eyes shut tight, as he suddenly began to tremble uncontrollably. Tori reached a hand out to him. Yami warned her against it, but she couldn't hear him. Her mate was all that mattered to her right now.  
  
Slowly, her hand touched his face. "Hiei," she whispered, "you can do it...you can break free..." He jumped as her skin came in contact, but he slowly recognized her, snarling as he fought to get to her, to break free. How dare ANYONE have the audacity to try to control him!!! His sleeping mind wrenched free of the grip that had been placed on him.  
  
His hand shot up, lightning fast, grabbing Tori's in a tight grip. She gasped as he constricted it with his own. Yami made a move to help her, but she shook her head at him. Hiei had to know she was there. Growling, Hiei trembled once more, as his eyes shot open, pouring out the purple cloud of control. It was gone. His painfully tight hold on Tori lessened, until she could safely pull her hand out of his, not caring about the abnormally large red mark around it.  
  
Yami once more heard his name being called by Ryou, and he quickly left the couple alone to go help Kaiba, as well as the exhausted Spirit Detectives. Poor Yusuke was about out of energy, and Kuwabara's legs trembled with the effort of holding his sword against Kaiba's, trying not to let it touch him.  
  
In his half-conscious state, Yoko raised his head to look for the reason for his calling. His silver mane blew in the rooftop wind as his golden eyes searched for her. About a few yards away lay Kagome, slightly bleeding, unconscious, but no doubt alive. He mustered all of his remaining demon strength, crawling toward her, gripping her hand, and dragging her limp form into his, wrapping his arms around her in the eternal grip.  
  
She wasn't leaving him...ever...  
  
The Yamis once more teamed their strength up to help the Detectives. Kaiba approached the weakened Yusuke, sword ready to claim him...when a blast knocked him off his feet.  
  
Ryou blew the smoke off his palm smugly, his brown eyes surveying his hit as Yami stomped firmly on Kaiba's wrist, forcing his fingers to loosen their grip. Finally, the hated sword fell to the ground, and Yami kicked it out of Kaiba's reach. He didn't dare touch it, but dribbled it with his foot toward Hiei. He looked at Tori as she curiously examined it. She understood; touching it would start the thing all over again. He gently pushed it next to Hiei, backing off, making to disappear into the city once more. He started walking towards the stairs.  
  
"Wait! Yami!" called Tori. He turned to her. She raced up, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you...so much..."  
  
He smiled, embracing her back.  
  
"Tell that demon of yours that Yugi says he'd better take good care of you," said Yami. Tori's eyes widened, but she smiled happily, nodding. Yugi finally understood...  
  
Ryou approached them.  
  
"Come on, Pharaoh, we'd better take these kids home," he gestured to the unconscious Joey, along with Duke, Serenity, and Mai. They took them down the stairs, as Kayzie and Mokuba ran to Kaiba's side. Tori watched Yami's retreating back.  
  
"Thanks again, Pharaoh of Egypt..."  
  
She turned back to Hiei, only to find him glaring daggers at her, his red eyes burning accusingly. She jumped in surprise, for a second thinking he was still possessed; when a wave of relief came over her as she figured out he was just jealous of Yami. The Blade was tucked snugly into his belt, next to his sword sheath.  
  
She approached him warily. "Hiei?" He didn't answer her. He shut his eyes and turned his head away. She knelt down next to him, once more reaching to touch his cheek, when he quickly grabbed her hand, dragging her into his face, kissing her fiercely. Tori was so taken aback by the act that she didn't take time to register that Yusuke and Kuwabara were snickering at her.  
  
When Hiei finally released her, he whispered ferociously,  
  
"You belong to ME, no one else, got it??" Tori gulped.  
  
"Hiei, he's just a..."  
  
"Got it??" She sighed.  
  
"Yes, Hiei, I got it."  
  
As soon as he closed his eyes, his hand still tightly around her wrist, Tori turned to glare with utmost death at the two weakly laughing detectives. Oh, they were going to get it when she got out of this...  
  
She stood wearily, closing her eyes, struggling to pull Hiei up with her, but he was out cold, and she'd never thought he weighed THIS much. Surprisingly, she felt him suddenly grow lighter. She opened her eyes to see Kuwabara supporting Hiei under one shoulder, Yusuke under the other. She looked in between both boys. They were giving her mischievous looks, but at least they were helping her.  
  
She was able to wrench her hand from Hiei's, as she had to go check on Kagome and Kurama, or Yoko, as she quickly found out. Botan was beside them, checking them for serious injuries. "How are they?" asked Tori as she approached the Grim Reaper.  
  
"They're fine. But there's something with Kagome. I can't quite place it, but she won't wake up. Yoko's unconscious, but Kagome's sleeping, or something. I don't know." Tori sighed.  
  
"Kurama did it," she said. Botan looked up.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Kagome's kind of sleeping. Kurama hypnotized her while he was still possessed. I saw it." Botan's eyes widened, looking back at Kagome.  
  
"Guess we'll have to wait for him to wake up before she can," she said. Tori nodded. She left Botan to wait for Kuwabara and Yusuke to return for the other two, and approached Kayzie, Mokuba, and Kaiba.  
  
"You guys ok?" Kayzie and Mokuba nodded. "Here, I'll help move him," she offered. They smiled.  
  
"Thanks," said Kayzie. Tori slipped one arm under one of Kaiba's shoulders, Kayzie took the other. Mokuba followed behind worriedly. The four headed down the stairs, heading into Kaiba's office. Tori and Kayzie laid him on the sofa. Tori normally would've been disgusted to do this, but Kaiba had been through a lot, and even she pitied him. She quickly turned and left, but not before Mokuba had called her.  
  
"Hey...you can use the empty office next door. There're some extra couches in there," he said.  
  
"Thanks, Mokuba," said Tori, smiling and leaving. She turned to the broken door. "Heh, sorry I broke the door..."  
  
"Don't worry about it. Just go help your friends," said Mokuba. Tori smiled again, and bounded down the hall to direct Yusuke and Kuwabara into the empty office with Hiei. She then hurried up to the roof to help Botan with Kagome.  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
Tori the Hanyou: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! NO CLIFFIE THIS TIME!!! YAAAAY!! Well, they've gotten the last artifact. But what happens after this, you say? Heck if I know, I wrote this thing off the top of my head! Actually, I DO have one little thing I want to do before the story's over, so be patient, okies? Now, here's the preview, and you guys can soak in your own ideas about what kind of twisted thing I'm plotting. I can tell you, it'll have you either saying 'HOW CUTE!!' or splitting your sides laughing. So, be prepared, here's the preview:  
  
CHAPTER TITLE PREVIEW: It Happens Every Time 


	20. It Happens Every Time

Tori the Hanyou: Whoa, Chapter 20! Who would've thought I'd make it this far?? (sniffles and throws confetti in the air) I wanna thank everyone who helped me get here! Well, really, the only ones I can thank are the reviewers, so THANK YOU ALL!!! (throws cookies and candy and ice cream to them) Well, alls I can say is, I'm very grateful for all the support, and here's Chapter 20, possibly going to be my favorite chapter, because of a few certain events I have planned (smiles evilly). I know some of you are gonna love them, so please enjoy them to the fullest, since this is possibly the second to last chapter in the entire story (cries).  
  
Review Answers:  
  
Black Mage Tsucasa: Thanks! I love fighting scenes, too. I think that chapter was my best fight written!  
  
Starangel4899: Heh, yeah, just hope your hyper state doesn't make you do anything weird... O.O;;;  
  
UltaAnimeFangurl2004: Thanks! I'm sad for its end, but be sure to stay tuned for the sequel, which I STILL haven't thought of a name for! (Fumes)  
  
Ruby-Jaganshi-2004: Yeah, sure, I'll keep my eyes out for it!  
  
Kayzie Kaiba: Well, I'm glad to have such a dedicated fan, lol. My email is , FYI. Sadly, that was Kaiba's last bit in the story, so no; you won't be in future chapters. Maybe I'll find a spot for you in the sequel, if Kaiba's in it (thinks). Yeah, it's funny how those things happen. You must've recently seen the episode where Yami saves Tea from the robber (in one of Tea's flashbacks).  
  
Blue-Eyes White Knight: Thanks! Be sure to remember what I told ya! You have great ideas!  
  
Itsabobthing92: Hey! Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you took the time to look at my website, and I'll look at yours, if you give me the URL.  
  
Blazingsunstar, pinkjingling: Thanks a lot!  
  
Kaiba is sooo mine: I checked out your stories. They're pretty good! Never lose faith if things get you down, okies? Thanks for showing it to your friends!  
  
Bleedingwolf7: Here ya go, lol! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
DISCLAIMER: Nope, read last chapter's DC, cuz I'm not sayin it again!  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 20: It Happens Every Time  
  
Kurama wearily opened his eyes to an office ceiling, and something warm in his arms. He blinked a few times to try to shake the sleep off and raised his head to check his surroundings.  
  
He was in a small office, filled with couches, assorted throughout the room as though thrown in there for storage purposes. He looked down to meet Kagome's sleeping face, and memories of what had happened earlier came flooding back to him. He snapped awake, realizing his actions, and immediately released Kagome, pushing away from her, only to clumsily fall off the edge of the couch, hitting the floor.  
  
He sat up, rubbing the back of his head as he heard the broken snores of two certain boys who had been sleeping in skewed chairs. They sat up, blinking tiredly at Kurama.  
  
"Hey, whassa matter? You have a bad dream or something?" asked Kuwabara, yawning. Yusuke stood up, stretching.  
  
"Well, that was a nice nap!" he said. Kurama stood up from his awkward position on the floor, straightening himself out as he looked at Kagome. She seemed awfully tired to still be sleeping after what he'd just done. Then he remembered. The Blade had made him hypnotize her.  
  
Nervously, he sat down next to her, placing two fingers on her forehead, and unlocking the mental spell he'd placed on her. He quickly stood up, backing away from her as though afraid of something, which didn't go unnoticed by Yusuke. "What is it?" he asked, "She's not gonna bite you or anything, if that's what you're scared of."  
  
"No, it's not that," said Kurama, speaking for the first time, "I don't feel a need to tell you what it is at the present moment, either, so please leave the matter alone."  
  
"Would you stop talking like my English teacher? You're jumbling my brain before it's even woken up," said Kuwabara.  
  
"Is it ever awake?" asked Yusuke, seemingly surprised, starting his first fight of the day, which he won in a matter of seconds. "You're getting worse every time," he said, snickering to Kuwabara.  
  
"What are you two doing now?" came Botan's voice from the door. The three boys looked up to see her standing in the now open doorway, giving the two humans a look that plainly said 'Would you stop acting like five year olds?'  
  
"He started it," said Kuwabara quickly, and Yusuke shoved him, starting another tussle, which seemed to wake up Kagome, as well as the last couple sleeping in Hiei's choice spot: the corner.  
  
Kagome sat up, staring curiously around.  
  
"What the heck happened?" was the first thing to come out of her mouth. Kurama seemed to shift uneasily on his feet, drawing her eyes towards him. She'd never seen him nervous before. He was usually the best (besides Hiei) at hiding his emotions.  
  
Tori sat up and stretched, yawning, suddenly feeling the pains of her injuries from the day before. Being thrown around on an asphalt roof wasn't exactly the most comfortable thing, and she quickly gripped her bruised arms, wincing.  
  
Hiei was used to feeling the pain from his injuries, but Tori's obvious discomfort didn't skip his sharp, watchful gaze. He quickly sat up and removed her hands, exposing extremely nasty-looking black and blue spots.  
  
While Hiei was checking on Tori, Kagome was having trouble figuring out why Kurama was avoiding her gaze. Yusuke and Kuwabara were throwing pointless punches at each other, and Botan was angrily scolding them.  
  
Kagome stood up, walking up to Kurama, trying to see what was going on through his sad-looking emerald orbs. She gently placed her hand on his chin and tilted her head downwards so she could see him.  
  
Though he didn't want to, Kurama snapped his head away from her before she could see. How would she ever forgive him for attacking her? If he told her, she'd never speak to him again! But if he didn't tell her...and kept hiding it...what then? He'd decided to take the chance.  
  
Naturally, Kagome had positively no idea what was happening. The last thing she recalled from the battle was when she and Tori were charging Kaiba, and then everything went blank. She didn't remember how the battle turned out.  
  
She gave up on bugging Kurama and instead went to ask Tori what happened. She of course was trying to keep her injuries hidden from Hiei's view, edging away from him little by little, while he was getting more pissed off by the second.  
  
"Um, guys?" said Kagome, interrupting them. They looked up at her, and Tori quickly jumped up and walked over to her.  
  
"Yes, Kagome?" she said, a little too eagerly.  
  
"Erm, when are we going back? Didn't that Koenma-guy say to bring the artifacts back as soon as we had all ten?"  
  
At this, everyone went silent.  
  
Their adventure was over. All ten artifacts had been collected. Tori and Kagome were free, well, as soon as Koenma took their collars off.  
  
Tori absentmindedly reached up and touched her collar. She'd forgotten all about it while they were in Battle City. She hadn't tried to run away, so the only time the collars had ever been used was when she and Kagome had first gotten them.  
  
She remembered it vividly. Kagome's furious reaction, her even more furious reaction...and then she stopped. Hiei had been the one to put her collar on. She remembered the first time he'd looked into her eyes; the look had actually been something like pity. It had angered her tremendously. And now she was his mate...who would've thought?  
  
Her shoulders slumped. What was going to happen now? She and Kagome would be free to go...except for their being mated to two demons. In Tori's case, a very violent and protective demon.  
  
Kagome seemed to be thinking the same thing. What WOULD happen? How would Kagome explain THIS to her family? The only person Tori had to say it to was her second cousin, but Kagome had to face her own mother...  
  
"Well, I'd say we better get going, then," said Botan half-heartedly. Tori looked up. Botan wasn't normally like this. It must've meant she was feeling pretty down.  
  
"Yeah," she quietly agreed.  
  
After checking out of their hotel and packing up their things, the group headed through a portal Botan opened up in the same alley they had entered through. Tori took one last look back at her old home before stepping through into the purple vortex, quickly followed by Hiei.  
  
(At Koenma's office)  
  
They all emerged into the familiar office building that Tori and Kagome had entered not...a month ago? It had seemed MUCH longer than that! Their whole lives had been turned upside-down in just one month?  
  
Nevertheless, they walked through, dodging the stressed goblins and ogres, weaving throughout the many desks, finally coming to the large oak doors. Kurama pushed the doors open, and they walked in.  
  
The room appeared the same as before, the single desk in the middle surrounded by mountains of paperwork. Someone could barely be seen behind more stacks that littered the desk surface.  
  
"Erm, Koenma sir? We're back," called Botan. A small 'yikes', followed by a clatter was heard behind the papers, and a figure quickly stood up, approaching the group with the air of a prince.  
  
"Ah, nice to see you back, Yusuke!" it said. Tori and Kagome nearly jumped out of their skins. "Tori, Kagome, pleasure to see you, too," said the figure as it noticed their stares. The person using Koenma's voice was possibly Kuwabara's height, with short brown hair and golden-colored eyes. The only thing that gave even a hint that he was the real Koenma was the pacifier still in his mouth, and the 'Jr' on his forehead.  
  
Kagome was first to speak.  
  
"Okay...who are you...and what have you done with Koenma?" she asked. He chuckled.  
  
"Of course, how could I have forgotten? You two have obviously never seen me like this," he said. The girls nodded simultaneously. "Well, to put it simply, I use this form to take care of very important business. People listen to me better if I don't look like a baby." The girls didn't answer. "Well, anyway, back to what I was saying. I trust your mission was successful?" he asked Botan.  
  
She nodded, taking her large backpack off and setting it on the floor. She pulled out the numerous objects that they'd collected: the Blaze of Water Ring, Ocarina of Peace, Hyper Bow, Boomerang of Summoning, Mirror of Truth, Tiara of Growth, Weather Staff, Eye of Invisibility, and Flight Pendant.  
  
Koenma carefully overlooked each one. "Good, good, I see they weren't damaged. Father will be pleased to know these are safe," he muttered the last part. Botan looked curiously at him.  
  
"Forgive my curiosity, sir, but why exactly did you want us to collect these? Were they stolen?" Koenma looked up.  
  
"No. We never had these in the first place. Father wished for these to be collected so they wouldn't be used the wrong way." He looked at them again. "Hey, wait a minute! There're only nine here! Where's the other one?" He looked expectantly at Botan, who quickly smiled sheepishly.  
  
"Oh! Forgive me! Hiei, bring it here!"  
  
Smirking at the sudden panic of the 'toddler', Hiei stepped out from behind the others, pulling the Demonic Blade out of his belt and placing it on the floor with the others. Koenma nodded at it.  
  
"Good, very good. Ok, well, that's it for now." He turned to Kagome and Tori. "I don't really think we'll be requiring your services anymore. You are free to return home."  
  
The girls looked down, nodding. Koenma approached Kagome, holding his hand in front of her neck. Her collar expanded until it was back to its basketball size. He took it off her neck, and repeated the process for Tori, being a little careful, remembering the last time she was there.  
  
Botan smiled at his reluctance.  
  
"You don't have any need to worry about Tori anymore, Koenma sir!" she said cheerfully as he quickly pulled it over her head. "She's as tame as a kitten now, aren't you, Tori?" As if to support her statement, she came up and threw an arm good-naturedly around Tori's shoulders. Rolling her eyes, but smiling all the same, Tori giggled at the ferry girl's antics.  
  
Koenma looked slightly relieved, and gave both of them a kind smile, before smirking at Kagome and Tori.  
  
"I also didn't fail to notice that you girls have gotten very," he coughed, "well acquainted with the demons of our little group." He made a gesture towards his own neck, and both girls blushed, realizing he'd seen the marks, as well as stirring a few embarrassed emotions from Hiei and Kurama.  
  
Yusuke and Kuwabara didn't bother trying to hold back snickers, but both of them were hit soundly over the head by Botan. "I really didn't expect something like that from you, Hiei," said Koenma, turning to the flushing fire demon. The pyre glared, and looked away angrily. "Which one's yours, Kurama?" he asked out of curiosity. Kurama turned red as well, but muttered Kagome's name. "Yes, I see how your personalities mesh. Very good. But Hiei...with Tori...I would never have thought! You two really seemed to hate each other when we first met," said Koenma with astonishment.  
  
Botan saw the look of murder Tori had flashed in Koenma's direction, as well as Hiei, and she quickly cut in.  
  
"I really think we need to get the girls home, Koenma sir," she said, hinting.  
  
"Oh, yes! I agree! Well, I suggest you get home. Yusuke, I'm giving you a month of vacation to make up for the mission. Enjoy it, because I'm feeling generous today." And with that, Botan quickly ushered the group out the door, but Hiei refused.  
  
"I have to talk to the toddler about something," he said quietly to Botan, who nodded and pushed the rest of them out.  
  
When Hiei joined them, he was hastily stuffing something in his cloak. They opened a portal back to the city and jumped in.  
  
(Near Higurashi Shrine)  
  
The group fell out of the portal, well, at least Kagome, Kuwabara and Tori did. The others somehow managed to land on their feet. After a few colorful curses from Tori and Kuwabara, Yusuke said he was going home, and he'd see Kagome and Tori around. Kuwabara quickly followed him, and the girls bid them goodbye.  
  
Kagome invited Tori over to her house for a sleepover, telling Kurama and Hiei to come too, so she could introduce them to her family. Hiei flatly refused, but Kurama coaxed him to at least sleep outside in a tree near Kagome's window. Hiei glared at him, but eventually agreed, since he'd be able to keep an eye on Tori from there.  
  
Before they left, Botan told them to come to Yusuke's house the next day; she wanted them to join the boys for some fun on the beach. They agreed, and she stepped back into the portal, disappearing. Kurama walked with Kagome back to her house, Hiei and Tori following behind.  
  
Kagome quietly opened the front door, peering inside.  
  
"Mom?" she called. "Mom, I'm home!"  
  
"Kagome???" came a young voice. A small boy's face peeked out from the stairs.  
  
"Sota! Where's Mom?"  
  
"Kagome! I can't believe it!" cried Sota, running down the rest of the stairs, bowling right into Kagome, crying. "You were gone for so long! We were thinking the worst!" Kagome's face softened to a small smile, softly stroking her brother's hair.  
  
"It's ok, Sota, I'm home," she said calmly. He looked up at her, just noticing Kurama standing next to her. He jumped away, backing up.  
  
"Wh-who are you?" he asked.  
  
"Sota, I'd like you to meet Kurama," said Kagome. Sota stared in wonder. "He's a...friend of mine that I want Mom to meet."  
  
"Mom's outside with Grandpa," said Sota. He soon noticed Tori come in the door. "Tori! You're back, too!" Tori smiled as the kid gave her a hug as well. She looked behind her to introduce Hiei to Sota, but the demon had vanished. 'Must not like crowds, can't blame him,' thought Tori.  
  
Kagome led them through the house towards the back door, Sota tagging along, pressuring poor Kurama with about a million questions at once. "How long have you known Kagome? Why do you have such long hair? Why do you smell like flowers? Do you like my sister..."  
  
"Hey Sota," interrupted Tori, "Have you been training hard?" She, of course, was talking about Sota's school bullies. The reason he'd been training with Kagome and Tori was so he could take on the kids that had tormented the poor guy at school.  
  
Completely forgetting Kurama, Sota turned to her, nodding proudly.  
  
"Yup! You should see what I can do to the punching bag now!" He jabbed his fists in the air, pretty quickly for a little kid. Tori giggled and stopped him before he got out of control.  
  
"Ok, ok, we'll have a sparring match later, all right with you?"  
  
Sota nodded eagerly, and continued rambling to Tori all that he'd improved on while they were gone. Tori listened, not failing to note the flash of black that had zipped by the window.  
  
They came outside, Sota still babbling excitedly, asking Kagome's approval every few minutes, and she acknowledged him with a nod.  
  
They soon came to the old well house, and Kagome pushed open the door, reeling back at the awful smell that had sprung forth from it.  
  
Kurama and Tori quickly covered their oversensitive noses, and when they got brave enough to peer inside, Kagome sighed with great exasperation. Her grandfather was sitting near the open well, burning loads of different scent candles, as well as boiling a pot of some weird kind of herb, chanting to absolutely no one. Kagome's mother was trying to tell him to quit it, but he didn't seem to hear her.  
  
"Mom? What the heck is Grandpa doing?" asked Kagome, her voice sounding contorted due to the holding of her nose. Mrs. Higurashi turned, nearly screaming.  
  
"KAGOME!" She ran up the well steps, grabbing her daughter in a hug, nearly squeezing the air out of her. "Kagome! I was so worried about you!!"  
  
"Kagome? Oh! I see my charm worked!" said her grandfather, stepping out of the old building, wearing weird-smelling robes and a funny-looking hat. "It's good to see you again, child!"  
  
"Now, Grandpa! Kagome's had obviously a rough journey, and..."  
  
"Actually, no Mom. I had a great time!" interrupted Kagome. It was at this point that Mrs. Higurashi took a look at the people who accompanied her daughter. Kagome nearly giggled when she saw her mother giving Kurama strange looks. "Mom, this is Kurama, a new...friend of mine," said Kagome quickly. Her mother continued to study Kurama's face, blinking every few seconds.  
  
"Hm, honey, whatever happened to Inuyasha?" she asked, "I thought HE was your boyfriend!" Kagome blushed furiously. How did she know??? Tori seemed puzzled at this, too. 'Wow, moms really DO know everything,' thought Kagome.  
  
"Well, uhh, things just didn't work out for us," said Kagome, "I told him we were through." Mrs. Higurashi nodded slowly, and glanced at Kurama again.  
  
"Oh, well. I really liked his ears, but you sure got yourself a good one here!" she chirped, winking at Kagome and briskly turning to Tori, leaving Kagome to silently apologize to Kurama. "Hello dear! I sure haven't seen you around lately, either!"  
  
"I was with Kagome," said Tori.  
  
"Oh good! I see you kept her company! Well, are you two going to tell me about what happened or not?"  
  
The small party went inside, with Mrs. Higurashi calling over her shoulder, "And for goodness' sake, Grandpa, change into some better-smelling clothes!"  
  
Sota ran around, getting drinks for everyone, while Tori and Kagome relayed their story, all month, and poor Kagome had to explain the demon mating process to her mother...WITH Sota in the room.  
  
"Oh, how cute! So you and Kurama are together permanently? That's quite fine by me; just make sure he takes good care of you, all right?" Kagome nearly fainted. How the heck was her mother taking this so well???? It just wasn't...natural!  
  
Her mother didn't even mind that Kurama was spending the night! "Good night, then! I'm sure you'll be happy to be in your own bed again, Kagome!" she called after the three as they trudged upstairs, Tori carrying a sleeping Sota. 'You don't know HOW happy,' thought Kagome sarcastically as they arrived at the top of the stairs. Kagome directed Tori to Sota's room, where they laid him on the bed and left.  
  
Kurama had opened the window when they arrived back in Kagome's room.  
  
"I hope you don't mind. Yoko tends to get uneasy when windows are closed," he said softly. Kagome shook her head.  
  
"It's no problem, I'm just glad Mom didn't blow up in my face for being mated to a demon. Heck, she didn't mind at all!" she responded. Kurama's gaze fell to the floor. Sure, her mom trusted him with her, but now, he didn't even trust him SELF with her. Not after what happened.  
  
"Are you gonna stare at the floor all night, fox?" came an irritated voice from the windowsill. There sat Hiei, giving his usual annoyed glare.  
  
"Hey, Hiei," said Tori. His gaze turned to her, and it slightly hardened.  
  
"Come on," he said. Tori had just pulled some blankets out of the closet.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Don't play dumb with me. Come here," ordered Hiei. Tori glared at him.  
  
"Why?" she asked, now irritated herself.  
  
"Don't ask stupid questions."  
  
"I'd listen to him, Tori," advised Kurama. She stood firm.  
  
"I wanna know why. Is that so much to ask?" she responded.  
  
"Yes," snapped Hiei, "now come!"  
  
"I'm not your dog!"  
  
"You're right, you're my mate." Hiei jumped into the room, and in one swift motion, picked up Tori and jumped back out the window into the tree, settling her in his lap, despite her silent curses at him, not wanting to wake up the other residents of the Higurashi household.  
  
Kagome giggled.  
  
"I don't think Tori will ever listen to Hiei without question," she said, smiling to Kurama, who gave her a half-hearted chuckle.  
  
"I wouldn't be too sure of that. Hiei has ways of getting what he wants," responded the kitsune. Kagome yawned, lying down on her bed, happy to be home. After a minute, she opened her eyes, giving Kurama a questioning look.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked, "You can lie down."  
  
To make her happy, Kurama obliged, gently taking her in his arms like he was used to.  
  
After about half an hour, making sure Kagome was fast asleep, Kurama gently removed his arms from around her, sitting up. He was about to go get Tori's dropped blankets, when he felt a gentle hand caress his wrist. Quickly jerking his head behind him, he saw Kagome was giving him pained looks. "Kurama, why won't you tell me what's wrong?" She looked hurt, deeply hurt, the pain reflecting harshly on her usually happy brown eyes, making them appear not as her own.  
  
This sudden change of attitude surprised Kurama greatly, so much so that it startled him into telling her.  
  
"You see, Kagome...that day, when we were battling for the Blade, it seemed that I was taken under control by it. Well, I don't know if you remember or not, but when you and Tori were heading in to attack Kaiba, I...I..."  
  
Kagome sat up, wrapping her arms loosely about his shoulders from behind, resting her head on the back of his neck, triggering more pain and guilt from Kurama's heart.  
  
"It's ok, Kurama," she whispered.  
  
"I attacked you. I attacked you, and used one of my most spellbinding mind tricks to lull the fight out of you, and continuously, I let my plant constrict you tighter. I fought to make it let go, but the Blade had control of me. I couldn't fight it, I just couldn't..." Kagome nuzzled her nose into his hair, his beautiful-smelling hair. "I'd never felt so weak and defenseless in my entire life," he whispered, ashamed. Kagome gently tightened her arms about him, and pulled her head from his neck to rest it over his shoulder, so her face was next to his.  
  
"Kurama...no matter what...you should know that the bond between mates can never be severed, not by anything at all. You're one of the strongest people I know. You're stronger, even, than Inuyasha."  
  
This brought back the memory. That fight between the fox demon and dog hanyou, it appeared vividly in the kitsune's mind. He sighed, remembering his victory, escaping with merely a cut on his left arm. He pulled back his sleeve to see that his demon blood had done its work. Not even a scar was left, only memories.  
  
Sighing, Kurama suddenly felt Kagome's lips on his cheek. Smiling, she came in for another one, and he turned his head towards hers, forcing it onto his lips instead. He felt Kagome's smile, and he put his hand behind her head, turning towards her. Yoko playfully made him push Kagome back down onto her pillow, and he deviously pounced on top of her. "So, what they say about foxes is true," giggled Kagome as Kurama kissed her neck, wrapping his arms about her waist, "you guys really are as clever as you're rumored to be." Kurama silenced any more words from her by swallowing her mouth with his own.  
  
(Outside)  
  
Hiei flashed his glowing red eyes open as soon as he was sure Tori was out cold. He watched her for a minute, making sure her breathing was even and quiet. When he was positive she wouldn't wake up, he fumbled in his cloak for the thing he'd put in before.  
  
His hand drew out its target, and he smirked at it. Forcing it to grow back to its basketball size, he quickly put it about Tori's neck, watching it shrink down to snugly fit where it was before. He remembered what he'd asked Koenma to modify about it. His eyes glanced evilly at her. She hadn't even noticed it was there again. She simply snuggled deeper into his embrace, nuzzling her nose into his shoulder, basking in his wild scent that had a pine smell to it.  
  
Giving himself his own devious idea, Hiei gently lowered his head to Tori's neck. Glancing back up quickly, he silently drew out his rough tongue, licking her mark. Tori seemed to squirm uncomfortably as he traced his tongue up to her ear, nibbling the lobe, hearing her almost inaudible moan. He took it in his mouth, quietly sucking on it, listening for her reactions.  
  
"Nicki, quit it..." was her wording. Hiei glanced at her, puzzled, but a quick mind read told him it was only her dog. Relaxing, he once more resumed his silent torture, giving her ear a bite. She gasped, but sighed as it was quickly forgotten by her dreams. Hiei soon found his tongue dragging its way across her face, and before he could stop himself, he'd taken her mouth in his, sliding his tongue in and playing with hers. At this, he heard and felt her moans, but quickly withdrew his head and closed his eyes as he sensed her stirring from sleep.  
  
Tori opened her eyes wearily to see Hiei's restful face, and she marveled at the weird dream she'd had. Someone had been teasing her, and she couldn't see their face, but it scared her how real the feelings had been. It was almost as if she could feel the hot breath on her neck, giving her goose bumps. She HAD felt it. But, how could that be? "Jeez, I must really be losing it," she muttered quietly to herself. 'I sure hope Hiei doesn't find out, or that'll be catastrophic,' she thought to herself. If Hiei found out she was having dreams about being licked and teased, God only knew what evil little ideas would pop into his head. She was HIS property now, after all, and he could do what he pleased with her, but that didn't mean she wouldn't put up a fight. Giving a fearful look at the one who held her captive, she shuddered at the thought, before falling back into sleep.  
  
Unbeknownst to her, these little thoughts hadn't passed the demon's mind reading, and he mentally smirked. Oh, if only she knew...  
  
(The next morning)  
  
Kagome awoke to the sun's light just peeking over the hill. She felt Kurama's arms gently draped about her waist, and she smiled at his sleeping face, gently raising a hand to brush a lock of his beautiful red hair away from it. His eyes opened to greet hers at this show of affection, and he leaned over to give her a good morning kiss.  
  
The two soon got up, going over to the window, where Hiei and Tori were slumbering peacefully in the tree.  
  
Kagome called out to them,  
  
"Morning, sleepyheads!"  
  
They both opened their eyes at the same time, giving her identical glares.  
  
"Yes, they were definitely made for each other," said Kurama, chuckling.  
  
"Come on! Remember, Botan wants us to meet the others at Yusuke's house to go to the beach! Move it!"  
  
Two more glares were flashed, followed by two New York Hello's:  
  
"GO TO HELL!"  
  
Kagome sighed, going back towards her bathroom, where she filled a glass of water in the sink. Kurama smiled when he saw it, and stationed himself near the window so he could watch.  
  
Kagome leaned out the window, throwing the water directly on both of them. That seemed to do the trick. Tori climbed out of Hiei's lap onto the tree branch, but Kagome quickly shut the window. Still growling and dripping wet, Tori leaped to the ground, landing on her feet. Hiei soon followed, and Tori told him she'd meet him at Yusuke's. He gave a small nod, and vanished.  
  
(At Yusuke's house)  
  
Kagome was last to arrive, and Kurama greeted her warmly. Tori had just gotten there, and she was eyeing the two new girls with utmost curiosity and suspicion.  
  
"Oh, good timing, Kagome!" said Botan cheerily, "I was just about to introduce Tori to these girls right here." Botan pointed them out. One was slightly taller than the other, and she had short brown hair with eyes to match. The other girl had a sweet, caring aura about her. Her hair was a strange aquamarine color, and Tori didn't fail to notice that her eyes were the exact same color as Hiei's.  
  
Kagome remembered the little talk that she'd had with the others about Hiei's sister, Yukina, and she guessed the girl was just that. The other one, she couldn't tell. Yusuke seemed to be very friendly with her, at least so she thought.  
  
"Don't you DARE touch me, you pervert!" snarled the brunette. Yusuke jumped back a little ways, but he still had the same goofy grin plastered on his face.  
  
"Whassa matter, Kayko?" he said in an all-too-sweet voice, approaching her again, "and here I thought you said you missed me." He put on a pout face, and Tori was trying her absolute hardest not to explode in laughter.  
  
The girl called Kayko seemed to hesitate at this, but she soon shook it off and simply slapped Yusuke across the face. Kagome had a feeling that wouldn't be the first time that day she did it.  
  
"Well, I say we get going now, or all the good spots on the beach will be taken," said Botan, ushering them out the door.  
  
They all piled into a van, and Botan eagerly jumped in the driver's seat. Tori found herself squished in the back between Hiei and the green- haired girl from before.  
  
As they were driving, or careening around the street, Tori couldn't tell which, the small girl spoke up.  
  
"I don't think Botan introduced us. I'm Yukina," she said in a small, quiet voice.  
  
"Hi, Yukina! I'm Tori, and this is..."  
  
"Hiei, I know," giggled Yukina. Hiei continued his stony stare out the window, not even looking up when Yukina mentioned his name. Kagome was crammed on the other side of her, and Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama and Kayko were up near the front.  
  
Tori and Yukina kept up a quiet, yet pleasant conversation on the way there, and Tori was warming up to the girl more and more by the second. Kagome was gripping the side of the van for dear life as it swerved dangerously around a corner. Hiei didn't even look up.  
  
When they FINALLY arrived at the beach, Yusuke was first to leap out of the van like a scared cat. He glared at Botan as she cheerily came around to their side.  
  
"That's it, Botan, NO MORE DRIVING FOR YOU!" he said.  
  
"At least I CAN drive, Yusuke," snapped back the ferry girl.  
  
"At least Kurama has regards for the speed limit!"  
  
"I thought you LIKED going fast!"  
  
"I do, only when it's ME in the front and I'm not getting thrown around in the back like a sack of potatoes!" retorted Yusuke.  
  
While they were bickering, everyone had already taken the stuff down near the water and set it up. Tori and Kagome were the first to throw off their shirts and shorts, revealing bathing suits, and race for the water. Kayko and Yukina followed soon after, and the girls started a small splash war.  
  
Soon, all the girls felt a huge splash hit them all, and they glared at none other than the four boys smirking at them. Botan was apparently smart enough to just lie on the beach and tan, but the rest seemed to be in for a huge event.  
  
It was now girls vs. boys, as Kagome dove under to avoid a huge splash from Kuwabara. Tori dodged Yusuke's with ease, and she flipped onto her back, giving her legs an enormous kick, sending a wave of water right at the Spirit Detective.  
  
The boys soon cornered Yukina and Kayko, and Tori and Kagome jumped in front of them to fend the boys off. The two smaller girls decided they didn't want to fight anymore, and they clambered out of the water quickly and hurried up the beach to where Botan was.  
  
Tori and Kagome were now surrounded, and Tori held up a hand, calling time-out.  
  
"Hey, wait a minute! This isn't fair! It's two against four!" she called.  
  
As if hearing her, Kayko and Yukina called from the shore,  
  
"Yusuke! Kuwabara! Come help us build a sandcastle!!" yelled Kayko.  
  
"Come on, Kazuma!" called Yukina. The boys eagerly abandoned the water, making Tori clap a hand to her forehead.  
  
"Great! They left us with the demons...they HAD to call the easy targets into shore, didn't they???"  
  
Kurama and Hiei gave each other understanding nods, and they disappeared beneath the water.  
  
Kagome and Tori looked around nervously, bracing their feet. Tori quickly dove away from Kagome, swimming out towards the deeper water.  
  
Kagome watched her fearfully. 'Great...JUST great! She left me all alone!' She watched the water for any signs of red, signaling the presence of Kurama's hair, but there were none to be seen. She had half a mind to follow Tori, but the girl was already way out in the water.  
  
Kagome continued her frantic search of the water, but nothing came up. She tried to keep her feet moving, but it wasn't quelling her nerves.  
  
It wasn't long before two strong arms snaked their way around her waist, dragging her under completely.  
  
Tori stopped, treading water. It was pretty deep out here. She slightly panted from the effort of swimming against the waves that threatened to throw her into shore. The water calmed out here, though. She glanced back at where Kagome had been, only to see that she was gone.  
  
"Kagome??? KAGOME!!" called Tori. Nothing. She looked around frantically. Kurama must've gotten her, meaning only one thing... 'Oh, SHIT!!!!' she thought furiously, right before she saw a dark shape swim past her. Feeling the breath constrict in her lungs, her eyes widened big time. "H-Hiei?? If that's you, you'd better damn well come out now! You've scared the hell out of me, ok??? Come on!"  
  
He didn't show. Tori began to grow worried. There was no way even Hiei could stay under this long. She chanced a glance back towards the shore, seeing if maybe he went in. All she saw was Yusuke and Kuwabara building with Yukina and Kayko. Botan was still on her beach towel. Kurama and Kagome were nowhere to be seen, either.  
  
Tori grew panicked. Where were they??? The dark shape glided past her again. "Hiei?? DAMN IT, HIEI! SHOW YOURSELF!" Still nothing. She glanced around. Wait a minute...that shape was WAY too big to be Hiei... Her eyes widened.  
  
As if on cue, a huge fin emerged out of the water, not ten yards away. Tori's natural instinct was to swim for shore, but her mind told it to shut up. The ligress drew out the claws, but Tori slackened her body, spreading her arms as far apart as possible, and floated on the top of the water. Her heart pounded, her body was twitching with the urge to swim to safety. Sadly, she would be swimming to her death if she listened to it.  
  
The fin came closer...  
  
Tori trembled. Her senses were exploding. 'RUN!' they were screaming to her. She gulped to try to calm her nerves, but nothing did it. Sweat beaded on her forehead from the hut sun, mixing with the salt water, dripping down her head.  
  
Closer...  
  
She felt her heart wrenching from the effort of holding still while God's Killing Machine circled her slowly... Wait, what had happened to Hiei, Kurama and Kagome?? Where were they?? Maybe she should call to the shore for help...no, it would pounce on her for sure. It was checking her out right now...at least she hoped so. Hopefully, she didn't look like a tasty seal. The fin stopped its stalking, prowling. It gave a huge swivel through the water...straight towards her!!!  
  
Tori gulped. If it bit her, it was just checking her out, right? It would see she wasn't a seal, and she'd escape with only a bite, right? .... No. More like a missing chunk of her side, or an arm or leg. She trembled again. Where was Hiei? Her body's muscles tensed up with the 'fight-or- flight' response waiting. She'd slash the creature's eyes out first...no! What was she thinking?? This was a living creature! An innocent one! It was only looking for food...yeah, her!  
  
So much for innocent. She stared as it drew closer at a painfully slow rate. Suddenly, it dove down. It was gonna get her from underneath! 'Don't move, you idiot!' she yelled to herself. 'RUN!' screamed her ligress. 'DON'T!' Tori screamed. Her heart was definitely about to implode, she knew it. She waited for the jaws to close on her...the sharp teeth to dig into her sides and rip out her flesh... 'Maybe that's what happened to Hiei...HIEI!' she screamed. If that thing had gotten him... A new instinct sprang up inside her.  
  
If it had gotten Hiei...it'd pay. She'd wait for it to get her, and then she'd drive her claws into its heart, anywhere she could reach. She gritted her teeth, as a million different emotions swam through her bloodstream. Hate for this creature...pity for its innocence...fear for her own life...it wouldn't end. Her claws itched to dig into flesh...to hurt...to kill...to avenge her fallen mate.  
  
She heard an audible roar under the water...wait. Sharks didn't roar! She was imagining things! Her fear was driving her insane! She closed her eyes tight...to wait for the impact...to wait for the fight for her life...  
  
"ROAAAARRRR!!!"  
  
Something slammed into her, wrapping itself about her tightly. She screamed loudly, knowing this was it. But wait...no pain. Was she dead already?? Was it that quick?? She felt fine. Something warm was wrapped around her. Was it possible she'd run into a toothless shark?? She slapped herself mentally.  
  
Then she heard it...laughter.  
  
Snapping her eyes wide open, she met Hiei's crimson orbs smirking with the utmost enjoyment at her. Her mouth dropped open.  
  
She glanced quickly around. Kagome and Kurama were nearby, gripping a giant piece of garbage.... shaped like a shark fin. It all hit her at once...  
  
"Did you like our little trick?" giggled Kagome with an evil glee. Tori was speechless. She whipped her head back to Hiei.  
  
"I must admit, Hiei's roar was terribly frightening," chuckled Kurama. Hiei closed his eyes, and Tori heard it...a laugh. Hiei laughed! She stared at him incredulously. Hiei NEVER laughed! EVER! She thrashed out of his arms; treading water, staring at him, then back at the amazed Kurama and Kagome.  
  
Her mouth opened and shut in silent words. Then the feeling came up...anger.  
  
"YOU BASTARDS!!!" she screamed, pouncing on Kagome first. After beating the shit out of her, she could still hear Hiei laughing above the water.  
  
He was next.  
  
Angrily, she kicked off the bottom, shooting right at him, when she felt a hand grip her wrist. She whirled about to see Kurama. Never mind. She pounced on him, trying to beat him up as well, but he quickly slipped out of her grip, moving like the water itself. She glared at him, and then finally went for Hiei. He'd seemed to regain control of himself. But when she went after him...he was gone. She looked around.  
  
Suddenly, she felt his arms about her own again. Gritting her teeth angrily, she whirled around to bite him to make him let go, when his lips met hers, making her freeze. His arms tightened about her, and she went slack, all anger draining out of her.  
  
When he finally released her and they went up to the surface, Tori started giggling to herself. "To answer your question, Kagome..." she started. Kagome's eyes widened. "DAMN! How the hell did you guys pull that off?? I was totally freaked!!!" she yelled, laughing her head off.  
  
Kurama cleared his throat.  
  
"It was all Hiei's idea. I held onto his ankles as we swam, to give the impression that it was indeed a long shark. Kagome was on top of us, holding the 'fin'. Indeed, it was quite genius. But really, Hiei, why couldn't we have saved it for Yusuke?" he asked.  
  
"Actually..." started Tori. They looked at her, "he doesn't quite know about it yet, does he?" They all looked in towards the shore, where the other five were busy, not even noticing the water. Evil smirks appeared on all four of their faces (yes, even Kurama's and Kagome's).  
  
After luring the two unsuspecting boys out into the water, followed by scaring the shit out of them with the shark trick (now including Tori), resulting in Yusuke chasing Tori through the water, and Kuwabara going after Hiei, they all went into shore, exhausted. Yusuke had a few lumps on his head from when he'd caught Tori, and Hiei had beaten him up after losing Kuwabara.  
  
They all plopped down on the shore, relaying the whole story to the other girls. Kayko and Botan exploded laughing when they told about how scared Yusuke and Kuwabara were. The two boys looked away, huffing grumpily. Yukina giggled softly.  
  
Kayko stood up, looking out at the water. She walked carefully behind Yusuke as he was eating his portion of the picnic that Botan had brought.  
  
"WATCH OUT, YUSUKE! SAND SHARK!!!" she yelled. Yusuke leapt into the air like a frightened cat, screaming. Everyone burst out laughing, even Hiei, which startled everyone except Kurama, Kagome and Tori. It was getting dark. Tori walked down towards the water, sitting down and watching the sunset. It wasn't long before Hiei joined her.  
  
Even Yusuke and Kayko settled down and had a nice time together. Tori watched them carefully as they sat somewhere down the water from where everyone else was. She saw him holding her hand, and she smiled.  
  
The sunset's colors reflected straight off the clouds, throwing fascinating palettes of blues, pinks, and reds into the sky, painting in a similar fashion to an artist throwing the buckets of paint across his canvas.  
  
It was beautiful, so to speak. Kurama tightened his arm about Kagome's shoulders, leaning in and kissing her on the cheek. She smiled softly, snuggling into his neck.  
  
As everyone was preparing to go, Tori made to stand up, but not before Hiei pulled on her arm, dragging her into him, kissing her. As he let go, she giggled, playfully swatting his shoulder and shaking her head.  
  
She went to go get Yusuke and Kayko, only to see them making out. So not to disturb them, she quietly backed away and hurried over to where the others were. She could see Kuwabara about to yell a stupid comment, when Yukina tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Please don't, Kazuma. Kayko needs that," she said quietly. Kuwabara immediately shut his trap, but turned it on her.  
  
"Anything for you, Yukina, my sweet!" he declared loudly. Yukina blushed lightly. Tori felt a slight growl from Hiei, but she quickly put her arm on his to silence him. She didn't know what he was so upset about. Maybe he'd once had a crush on Yukina? This puzzled her. Both of them looked very much alike, or maybe Hiei simply thought of Yukina as a sisterly figure. She certainly did. Yukina was very easy to get along with.  
  
She shook it off, thinking to ask Kagome later as they piled into the van in the same seats as before. Yusuke and Kayko fell asleep on each other, and Hiei drew Tori close to him, closing his eyes. Tori smiled, leaning against his shoulder as she stared out the window at the starry sky. She felt eyes on her, and turned her head to see Yukina smiling at her. She softly smiled back. Yukina leaned her head against the seat behind her, closing her eyes. Kagome was already asleep against the far window.  
  
Even Botan drove with the speed limit back to Yusuke's house.  
  
Upon arrival, Botan awoke everyone with a start by screaming,  
  
"WE'RE HEEEERRREE!!" Tori had half a mind to go knock Botan upside the head for that, but she decided to let Botan live tonight. She groggily clambered out of the van behind Yukina and Kagome, with Hiei following.  
  
Botan went inside first. Yusuke went into the kitchen to grab a soda, and he noticed the note in his fridge. He yanked at it and scanned it over, heading back into the living room.  
  
"My mom's sleeping over at a friend's house tonight," he announced.  
  
"Oh, it's ok, Yusuke!" said Botan cheerfully, "We'll keep you company, won't we?" She turned to the others. A few short nods answered her. Apparently, everyone was still half-asleep.  
  
"Whatever," muttered Yusuke, plopping down on the couch, "wonder what's on?" He flipped on the TV and went through the channels. Botan went to the cabinet next to the TV and started searching through the videos to watch. She flipped through the tapes, spying Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a few porn tapes ('GROSS!' she thought) until she noticed one particular tape in the back, gathering dust. She pulled it out, checking the side, and nearly burst out giggling.  
  
"I never knew!" she mumbled gleefully to herself. She hid the tape inside the cabinet door, and whirled around like she'd heard something. She widened her eyes, staring at the window.  
  
"What is it, Botan?" asked Kayko.  
  
"I heard something outside," said Botan, putting a fake fearful tone in her voice. Kurama raised an eyebrow at her. "Why don't you boys go check it out?" she asked. Yusuke glared out the window.  
  
"Better not be those Rekantei punks!" he snarled, jumping up, "I thought I taught them a lesson last time!"  
  
Kuwabara followed him out the door, obviously eager for a fight.  
  
"Better make sure they don't hurt themselves, Kurama," hinted Botan. Kurama gave her a suspicious glance, but went after them, practically dragging a protestant Hiei out the door.  
  
As soon as they were gone, Botan launched herself at the VCR.  
  
Kayko was looking fearfully out the window.  
  
"Botan, was it a good idea to send them out at dark?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, they'll be fine! I didn't really hear anything," said Botan, hurriedly pushing the tape in. Tori barely caught a glimpse of the label.  
  
"Casino Talent Show Act," she read loudly. Botan clapped a hand over her mouth. Tori wrenched her hand away, glaring. "What's your problem??"  
  
"I don't want the boys to hear it!" hissed Botan.  
  
"The Casino Talent Show??" asked Kayko, "That was about four years ago! Why does Yusuke have a tape of one of the acts?"  
  
"We'll see, won't we?" asked Botan with an evil glee. "Ssh! It's starting!"  
  
She hurriedly ran around, shutting the blinds and turning off the lights, materializing a large bowl of popcorn out of nowhere and plopping between Tori and Kagome on the large sofa.  
  
The stage started off dark, but a tune started playing, and a young voice singing. A dark silhouette stood on the dim light of the stage.  
  
"Can you hear the music playing? Can you feel the rhythm swaying? Since the sound of dreams come truuue, and I can promise you that..."  
  
Three other silhouettes jumped up next to the first, and they looked like they were dancing, and DAMN, they were good, their voices blending perfectly as all four joined for the next part,  
  
"You are the one and only...and I'm the lost and lonely. We are the perfect dream come true," The first voice came out by itself again,  
  
"And I can promise you that I,"  
  
All four: "Hear the silly love song in my heart."  
  
Suddenly, the lights came on, revealing them to be none other than...  
  
"OH MY GOD!" yelled Kayko, "IT'S THE BOYS!"  
  
As she said, ten and eleven-year-old versions of Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei did a synchronized high jump kick in the air as they sang the next part together.  
  
"It Happens Every Time, when I see you, it happens every time, when I think of you. It happens every time! Oh, it's magic, when we meeeeet! Baby, down on Dream Street!"  
  
Yusuke and Kuwabara sang together for the next part,  
  
"Let me take you by the hand and,"  
  
Yusuke and Kurama did the next,  
  
"Walk you down the Milky Way 'cause,"  
  
Then Yusuke and Hiei did the last part,  
  
"You make me feel I'm so aliiive!"  
  
"Oh, I promise, baby, I,"  
  
Kurama, Hiei, and Yusuke sang,  
  
"Hear the silly love song in my heart!"  
  
They repeated the chorus, and Botan nervously noted that the boys were right behind them, staring incredulously at the screen. Tori and Kagome were dancing to the music, giggling, as was Yukina.  
  
When the chorus was over, Hiei sang next,  
  
"Baby down on Dreeeaaam Streeeeeet!"  
  
The others were singing the chorus behind them, as Kuwabara sang up,  
  
"Baby!"  
  
"It happens every time! Oh, it's magic, when we meeeet!"  
  
Kurama gave a solo:  
  
"Down on Dream Street. When I close my eyes, there's angels all around,"  
  
The other three piped up:  
  
"Singing a love song..."  
  
Kurama sang,  
  
"You know it happens every tiiiime, baby see, (Ooohhh,) ohhh, it happens every tiiime, ooooh! Oooooh!"  
  
"It happens every time, when I see you, it happens every time, when I think of you! It happens every time! Oh, it's magic, when we meeet!"  
  
Hiei sang again,  
  
"Baby down on Dreeeam Streeeet!"  
  
"It happens every time..."  
  
Kuwabara piped up,  
  
"Baby!! Ooh!"  
  
"It happens every time! Oh, it's magic, when we meeeet!"  
  
The music cut off, leaving a little bit for Kurama's finishing solo:  
  
"Down on Dream Street...."  
  
Everything went dark.  
  
The girls burst out laughing.  
  
"Weren't they sooo cute??" squealed Kagome to Tori.  
  
"Of course they were! Kurama was really good!" said Tori, nudging Kagome, making her giggle.  
  
"Hiei wasn't half bad, either," responded Kagome to Tori.  
  
"Yeah, but who knew Yusuke could sing like that??" asked Tori, looking at Kayko.  
  
"Don't look at me!" protested the brunette.  
  
"Don't forget Kazuma!" piped up Yukina.  
  
"Oh, yeah. I've never heard Kuwabara sing before in my life!" said Kayko.  
  
"And he wasn't bad," quoted Kagome.  
  
"Nope, not at all," agreed Tori.  
  
"But Kayko, you have to agree," started Kagome, "Yusuke rocked, didn't he?"  
  
Kayko nodded sheepishly, blushing. The girls gave another fit of giggles, when Tori noticed Botan's frozen figure. She looked paler than the fictional Grim Reaper.  
  
"Botan? You ok?" asked Tori. She looked up; just noticing that the boys were giving the poor ferry girl glares beyond comparison.  
  
When the other girls noticed their presence, Hiei spoke up, using his most dangerous tone,  
  
"Botan...why did you show that?" he asked.  
  
"I'd like to know that myself," muttered Yusuke.  
  
Botan slowly turned around.  
  
"Listen, boys, don't be so upset! See? They liked it! Didn't you, girls???" she squeaked, obviously terrified.  
  
Kurama's look faded, before rounding it on Yusuke.  
  
"I thought we agreed you were going to burn that tape," he said thoughtfully. Hiei's eyes flashed at the Spirit Detective now.  
  
"Yes, that's what I recall," he said.  
  
"Didn't you say you would, Urameshi?" asked Kuwabara. Yusuke's glare faltered, and he looked around nervously.  
  
"Well, yeah...but Mom kinda hid it...I guess..."  
  
"You're useless," snapped Hiei.  
  
They looked back at the girls, who were now glaring at them.  
  
"What??" snapped Yusuke, annoyed.  
  
"Don't be angry at anyone! That was the best thing I've ever seen!" said Tori, standing up and marching over to Hiei, who turned away from her to hide his blush. "Hiei, you never told me you could sing!" she said, amazed.  
  
"And Kurama, I loved your voice!" said Kagome happily.  
  
"How come you guys never told us about this??"  
  
"WE WERE TEN, OK???" snapped Yusuke.  
  
"Actually, you and Kuwabara were ten, I was eleven, and Hiei was twelve, now that I recall," said Kurama thoughtfully.  
  
"My most embarrassing moment ever," moaned Hiei, hiding his face in one hand. Tori tugged it away.  
  
"More like your best!" she corrected.  
  
"How the heck did you guys do this without me knowing?" asked Kayko.  
  
"Well, we did it that weekend, we took the chance that people we knew would be in the crowd," said Yusuke.  
  
"And now I regret it deeply," said Hiei, "Yusuke's mother was in the audience, and she videotaped it, somehow knowing we were going to perform."  
  
"I told you, Moms know everything!" said Kagome brightly to Tori. She nodded in agreement.  
  
"Whatever!!" snapped Yusuke, "I'm burning that damn thing right now!" But before he could take a step, Kayko had already ejected the tape, and held it protectively to her chest.  
  
"No, you aren't!" she snapped. Yusuke marched up to her.  
  
"Give me that tape, Kayko!" he said angrily. Kayko slapped him soundly.  
  
"How dare you!!" she snarled, "You think you can order me around like that??? THAT'S NOT HOW THINGS WORK THESE DAYS, YUSUKE! The age when women were slaves is long gone!!"  
  
Tori stared, shocked. She REALLY needed lessons from Kayko... Hiei watched her as she gathered this little idea in her head, and he flashed her a mental threat. She glared at him, but held onto the notion.  
  
Yusuke rubbed his cheek.  
  
"I knew hanging around Hiei for that long was a bad idea..." he muttered. Hiei smirked. He'd have to give Yusuke lessons on how to properly break a girl's spirit...once he broke Tori's, that is...  
  
Botan looked at the clock. It was near 11.  
  
"Yusuke, do you mind if we stay here the night?" she asked.  
  
"Whatever," muttered Yusuke, yawning. Kayko glared at him as she gripped the tape tighter. If he thought he was getting it away from her, he was dead wrong.  
  
Kayko went to the closet, dragging out blankets and old mattresses. She and Yukina would share the couch. She grabbed two of the blankets out of the pile and handed one to Yukina. Tori agreed to sleep on one of the mattresses, as did Kagome. Both grabbed blankets, and Yukina tossed both of them couch cushions to use as pillows. Kuwabara slept in the recliner.  
  
Tori snuggled down into her blankets as Yusuke went off to his room. She felt extremely tired. What with the beach events, and then the Dream Street reenactment a few minutes before. It didn't take long for her to suddenly feel the intense warmth as the fire demon nestled down next to her, wrapping her in his arms.  
  
Kurama had joined Kagome, putting his head against the back of her neck.  
  
Kayko watched both couples, slightly shocked to see Hiei showing such emotion, and slightly regretting making Yusuke mad. She stuffed the tape under the couch and got up, tottering down the hall towards the bathroom to get some water. Suddenly, in the dark, she ran smack into something hard, bumping her nose.  
  
"Oww!" she cried quietly, not wanting to wake the others. Suddenly, she felt a gentle hand on her arm, and a finger on her chin, tilting her head up to meet two sparkling brown orbs, filled with concern.  
  
"You ok?" whispered Yusuke. She nodded sheepishly. She felt the hand on her arm slowly wrap around her back instead, and she soon felt Yusuke's gentle lips on her nose where she'd hit it. Suddenly, it felt a lot better, or maybe that was because her face was overheating from the blush.  
  
She then felt Yusuke's lips part from her skin, and she felt a bit disappointed, until he'd caught her own in a kiss. His other arm joined the first one on her back, and he held her close, deepening the kiss.  
  
When they pulled apart, Kayko knew her face was going to implode from the heat. She smiled softly at Yusuke through the darkness as he let go of her. She tried to back away from him, claiming she was going back to bed, but he held onto her.  
  
"Yusuke?" asked Kayko.  
  
"Don't leave me," he muttered, quietly. Kayko's eyes widened.  
  
"Why don't you come back in with us? I was getting a little cold," she whispered. She could see his small smile through the darkness.  
  
"Sure."  
  
They went back into the living room, where Kayko grabbed the last spare mattress, as well as her pillow and blanket from the couch, and lay down on it, feeling Yusuke right behind her, holding her close to him. Smiling, both drifted off to sleep, unknowingly being watched by a certain smiling kitsune.  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
Tori the Hanyou: NO! THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER! Whew! Yeah, yet another new record! 25 pages! Amazing! I really hope I didn't lose anyone's interest throughout the chapter, cuz I loved it the best! It was loaded with fun stuff, as well as Yusuke/Kayko fluff at the end. Ok, y'all remember the pairing poll I had at the beginning of the story? Well, I have another one! Yippee! REMEMBER: These questions will affect how I do the next chapter, so I REALLY need your votes!! The poll will only be open for the first week after I post this, so votes on this are valid only until NEXT Tuesday, got it??  
  
For the sequel to Fighting Back, I'm planning on putting a lemon scene somewhere in it,  
  
QUESTION 1: Do you think I should put a lemon in the sequel?  
  
Yes  
  
No  
  
QUESTION 2: If you answered 'yes', for the above question, which pair should I do it with?  
  
Kurama/Kagome  
  
Hiei/Tori  
  
QUESTION 3: Where should the setting be? (Note: This WILL be a few years in the future!)  
  
The Makai  
  
College -- (I'm actually leaning more towards this idea already. I really like it, but I just can't decide)  
  
QUESTION 4: This is a fill in the blank! I NEED HELP WITH A NAME FOR THE SEQUEL! I think I'll do it like this:  
  
Fighting Back 2: (Fill in name of sequel here)  
  
I already have a few ideas: (depending on the setting of the story, look at Question 3)  
  
Fighting Back 2: Off to College! (or) Fighting Back 2: The Challenges of the Makai  
  
Ok, ONE last thing, I promise!  
  
I just recently put up some fanart of Hiei and Kurama on Mediaminer. If y'all wanna check them out (and maybe review them XD), go -This is Kurama's portrait. I don't think it's exactly right, but at least it looks like -This is a quirky little thing I did. It portrays Hiei with a searching -This is my Hiei portrait, possibly my best ever. I'm VERY proud of it, so PLZZZ check it -This is THE funniest picture I've ever drawn! In fact, I want it to be a surprise for y'all. I'll give you a hint: the stars are Hiei and Kurama. 


	21. Run Away to the End of the Life You Knew

Tori the Hanyou: (cries) This is the LAST CHAPTER!!! (sob) Who would ever have thought that I would finish a story??? I can't believe it! I'm in tears! FUCKING TEARS, YA HEAR ME???? (gasps) Sorry, didn't mean for it to go like that...I'm just so proud! (beams) Now, as y'all know, I had a poll last chappie. My review answers are only for those who actually reviewed the CONTENT of the chapter, and not just the polls! So, here they are!  
  
Black Mage Tsucasa: Whoa, you really love battle scenes, don't you? Sadly, I don't think this chap will have a lot of fighting, except for verbal (but that's in every chapter, right?)  
  
Hotarubi: Ok, well, if the lemon DOES get put in, just try to avoid it then, ok? I'm sorry you're too young for that, but I'm so glad to see an honest person who can actually admit they're too young for something! Good Job! :D (throws you a cookie) Also, I'm sad to say that the chances for the college setting are out the window. Please read the sequel anyway!  
  
Kayzie Kaiba: You are so welcome! But, if they're gonna be in the Makai for the sequel, it means Kaiba won't be there, and neither will you. I'm very sorry. Thanks a lot for your support, though, and stay tuned for my sequel!  
  
Pinkjingling: Thanks!  
  
CrimsonAngel91: Thank you for actually reviewing the content! You're the first person to! :D Well, for starters, you gotta remember that the guys were MUCH younger when they did it! I couldn't help but burst out laughing as I wrote that! As for the shark, just between you and me...I was actually gonna make that a little heroic scene, where Hiei attacks the shark, but then I thought about how I wanted to make it a fun chappie, so I instead turned it into a practical joke that Kurama, Kagome and Hiei played on Tori. Great, huh? I loved it. Yes, seeing Hiei laugh full out...I have a pic of him and Yoko laughing their heads off (and it's a screenshot, too, meaning its actually gonna happen!) Lemme know if you wanna c it!  
  
Psychopathic Maniac Girl: I am SO glad you brought that up! For starters, I had just finished reading a new chapter for the fic entitled Twitch Twitch, by Blkwidow77 on Mediaminer. It is LOADED with angst! I swear, I jumped at every emotional part! It's THAT great! Well, in that fic, Hiei is indeed a VERY violent person, so I decided I wanted him to start to get that way, you know, be a bit possessive of Tori, now that she's his mate and all. Ok, maybe not a bit...but whatever. Anywho, I also figured to include the fact that...he's a demon! DUH! If you haven't been informed on demonic behavior, it clearly states that a demon is not only possessive of his mate, but also VERY dominant. If his female tries to put a foot out of line, he gets mad. Very mad, especially in Hiei's case. I know Hiei sounds like the bad guy in that chapter, but he's only following his demon instincts. He wants his female to listen to him and obey him all the time, and that's why he wants to break her spirit. As for the teaching Yusuke thing, that was a joke.  
  
Starangel4899: Good job on your idea! I liked it a lot! Sadly, it doesn't look like Kurama and Kagome will be in the lemon...strangely, a lot of people wanted Hiei and Tori...(thinks)  
  
Ruby-Jaganshi-2040: Hiya! You must be Ruby, I gather. Yes, I talked to Sapphire on AIM. Thanks for your ideas, and yes, I'll look to you for ideas if I run out of any in the long run.  
  
Black tigeress: Thanks! You know, you have a very interesting idea there. But sadly, I can't put the location in both college AND Makai, not with the story plot I've already figured out. Don't worry, Kagome WILL get to know Yoko better, you just wait. As for Tori, well....  
  
Amber Amethyst Green: Thank you. Well, if you haven't read the note thingy, whatever. I can't do it for both pairs. As for your plot idea, it's very unique, and Inuyasha will definitely be back, but I'm not focusing the entire story on his return, so the idea for the title wouldn't work. But that is a VERY good idea. I'll definitely throw it in! Except, I won't exactly put in the killing Kagome for Kikyo part. Inuyasha will go berserk though, when he finds out Kurama's now Kagome's mate.  
  
And as for the poll results, HERE THEY ARE!  
  
Question 1: Well, I'm actually starting to rethink the lemon. It would ruin the story, wouldn't it? If there are any of you out there who REALLY want a lemon in the sequel, what I can do is (thanks for helping me with the idea, Ruby-Jaganshi-2040) split the lemon chapter into two chapters, one WITH lemon, and one without! But, that's ONLY IF there's ANYONE who really wants to see a lemon in the sequel, okies? Ok! So, next part! In case you decide to have the lemon, here are the poll results for:  
  
Question 2: (Lemon Pairing)  
  
Kurama/Kagome: 5  
  
Hiei/Tori: 6 (I had outside votes on this as well. Sheesh, I was sure Kurama and Kagome would win...)  
  
Question 3: (Setting)  
  
College: 2  
  
The Makai: 6 (Yep, the Demon Realm has won!)  
  
Question 4: I've gotten a lot of reviews saying they liked my idea for Fighting Back 2: Challenges of the Makai, but some others had new suggestions!  
  
Fighting Back 2: Makai Mayhem (I actually really like this one! Good pick starangel4899!)  
  
Fighting Back 2: Case For Love (by Kayzie Kaiba)  
  
Fighting Back 2: Changes for the Better (by Ruby-Jaganshi-2004)  
  
Be sure to tell me which ones you want, okies? So, I guess it's one last poll:  
  
Question 1: Should I put the split lemon chappie? (They're the same chapter, but one with, and one without the lemon).  
  
Yes  
  
No  
  
Question 2: Which title do you like best? (Look above Question 1)  
  
Well, I've taken up 2 pages of my rambling, so now for that chappie!!  
  
DISCLAIMER: This is the last time, so for old time's sake, I don't own Yu- Gi-Oh, Inuyasha, or Yu Yu Hakusho, just Tori, the ligress, the parody of Sk8ter Boi in Chapter 8, and this plot.  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
Fighting Back  
  
Chapter 21: Run Away...to the End of the Life You Knew...  
  
After the group had left Yusuke's house to go to the park, they headed down the street, talking amongst themselves.  
  
Tori walked along, speaking happily with Yukina, Kayko, Kagome, and Botan, while Hiei and Kurama were quietly conversing, and Yusuke and Kuwabara were racing to the park (can't guess who's gonna win that one... -.- ;;;)  
  
"Yes, and then after that, he..."  
  
Tori normally would've been interested in hearing about something Yusuke did that was actually nice, but she had other things on her mind, like what could Hiei and Kurama be discussing that would cause them to walk so far behind the others, heads down and whispering quietly?  
  
She strained her ears backwards, only managing to catch snatches of the conversation:  
  
"...Yes, we're gonna leave..." came Hiei's voice.  
  
"Hiei...wise to...mean, Tori would be..."  
  
"...care. She's my...doesn't have...about you?"  
  
"...stay...."  
  
Then their heads shot up, staring straight ahead, and Tori felt their eyes boring into the back of her skull. She immediately turned her attention away, but felt oddly curious. She'd heard Hiei say the word...leave. What could that mean? Was he gonna leave her? She thought. He'd said the word 'we', didn't he? Was he talking about all of them, or him and Kurama, or...the thought struck her...him and HER? She shook her head. Hiei wouldn't take her away from Kagome...would he?  
  
She wanted to glance behind her, but it would risk too much. Besides, they'd reached the park.  
  
Tori wandered away from the others to quietly sit underneath a tree, pondering the meaning of Hiei and Kurama's conversation.  
  
Apparently, Kurama had been trying to persuade Hiei AGAINST doing whatever he was planning, and that spurred Tori's idea from before. Hiei of course had brought up the undeniable response, 'She's my...' whatever. Probably talking about her...again. Then he'd muttered a question to Kurama. 'About you', it sounded like he was asking Kurama what he was going to do.  
  
Kurama responded with 'stay'. She grumbled in her frustration as she turned these facts over and over in her mind, not getting a clear picture. What was Hiei planning to do with her?? Kurama had seemed to think it was a bad idea, so it obviously was...  
  
Why her?  
  
She sighed, giving up, resting her head against the trunk of the tree. Hiei obviously wouldn't tell her, so she'd have to either worm it out of Kurama, or...she didn't like the other option, and dropped it completely. It was hopeless.  
  
Soon, she smelt a familiar scent, and heard a slight rustle of leaves above her. She tilted her head up, spying Hiei in his favorite position: in the tree branches way up high. She watched him for a while, wondering what on Earth was going through the dark maze he called his mind...  
  
"Kagome? Kagome, may I speak with you for a minute?" called Kurama's voice across the green, where the other girls were playing tag with Yusuke and Kuwabara. After dodging a blundering Kuwabara, Kagome leapt lightly over his fallen form and raced eagerly up to her mate. Kurama smiled as he saw her delight...too bad he'd be the one to wipe it away...  
  
"Yeah, Kurama?" She was panting slightly from the thrill of the game, but she immediately calmed when she saw the urgency in his eyes. "Oh no. What's happened now?"  
  
"It's Hiei. He's planning to take her from us..."  
  
"Hiei's what? Take who?" asked Kagome. Kurama gently led her from the view and hearing range of the others, settling her down in a small grove of oak trees.  
  
"Kagome...I was speaking with Hiei earlier..."  
  
"Yeah, I noticed."  
  
"From what I was saying before, he wants to take Tori with him to the Makai when she 'comes of age'..."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened.  
  
"W-what? Take Tori where???"  
  
Kurama sighed.  
  
"The Makai is the Demon World. It's where Hiei was born and grew up, and where he enjoys going in his extended free time. It's his home."  
  
"Uh, huh, go on."  
  
"Hiei wants to take Tori there with him when she comes of age, which is about when we graduate high school..."  
  
"WHAT???"  
  
"Ssh!" Kurama urgently covered her mouth, listening. He could still hear the others laughing and yelling, so he calmed, removing his hand.  
  
"Kurama, I don't understand..."  
  
"Hiei's natural instinct is to take his mate with him back to the Makai, where he grew up. It's another demon nature quality. That's where he wants them to live, forever."  
  
"But...won't Tori be..."  
  
"That's my point. She won't be happy at all. But, she hasn't been happy with much of anything Hiei's done so far, why should this time be different? The thing is, we need to try to persuade Hiei to rethink it. Tori's a normal human, she'd never survive in a world full of demons. Hiei would be taking her to her death if we allowed him to bring her there."  
  
"So, what do we do?"  
  
"First off, we explain this to Tori..."  
  
"Uh, Kurama?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Usually, explaining things like this to Tori results in her doing something drastic. I say we keep it on the low profile for now."  
  
"I'm afraid not, Kagome. Actually, I think we'll NEED her drastic measures to sort out this problem. Tori's become quite like a younger sister to me, and I would hate to see her dragged off to her death, as would you, Botan, and the others, Yusuke especially. He loves to have those sparring and wrestling matches with her."  
  
As if on cue, they heard Tori's voice carry over the trees,  
  
"YOU'RE GONNA GET IT FOR THAT, YUSUKE!!"  
  
Then more laughter was heard, and Kagome's heart sank.  
  
"You're right, Kurama. We have to do something," she said finally. Kurama smiled, glad she agreed.  
  
"Good, then let's get to it, shall we?"  
  
(Meanwhile...)  
  
Tori furiously raced after the laughing Spirit Detective as he wove his way throughout the others, who dodged out of Tori's way, since she'd been dubbed 'It'. Yusuke looked behind him to see that he wasn't losing her, and decided to try a different tactic. He raced out of the field they were in into the trees, knowing she'd follow.  
  
Naturally, she did. Yusuke wove in and out of the trees, trying to lose her, as they ran farther and farther away from the original play site. Tori wouldn't be shaken so easily, though. Using some of her best hunting techniques, she took shortcuts around the trees, slowly getting closer to Yusuke's back.  
  
She reached out with her hand, ready to tag him and run for it.  
  
Closer...  
  
Closer...  
  
Yusuke's eyes widened as he heard Tori's shrill scream behind him. He immediately skidded to a stop, turning around, his eyes widening.  
  
Tori was on the ground, gripping her neck tightly, where huge bolts of electricity were being emitted from, electrocuting her. Yusuke stared. He thought Koenma had taken her collar off...  
  
Almost in an instant, Hiei appeared next to her, and the zapping ceased.  
  
Tori lay on the ground, unconscious from the shocking she'd received.  
  
Hiei stared at her for a while as he knelt next to her, and Yusuke thought he caught traces of a smirk on Hiei's face.  
  
"So it worked," Hiei muttered aloud. Yusuke approached him.  
  
"Hiei? What worked?" Hiei reached down and removed Tori's hands from her neck, showing Yusuke the collar that had been there before.  
  
Yusuke's eyes widened.  
  
"You put it back on?? Why??" he asked. Then another question struck him. "Hey, I thought Koenma said that she couldn't go out of a mile radius of at least one of us! She was right behind me the whole time!"  
  
Hiei glanced up at him.  
  
"It's nothing to worry about. I simply had Koenma adjust the collar's setting so she couldn't go out of a mile radius of just me."  
  
"Nothing to worry about???" yelled Yusuke, "She could've gotten hurt!! What were you thinking, putting that back on???"  
  
Hiei didn't answer. His demon blood seethed with delight at seeing the test to keep Tori from running away had been successful. She couldn't run now. He smirked, picking her up.  
  
"For your information, detective, no, it wouldn't have hurt her. Because I had Koenma tone down the bolts of electricity that she'd be shocked with. It wouldn't cause pain, just knock her out until I could come and retrieve her. You'd understand if your demon instincts were working properly," Hiei sneered at Yusuke.  
  
Yusuke slightly growled at the comment, but looked worriedly at Tori. Was it that good of an idea to let Hiei be her mate?  
  
Hiei turned away from him, disappearing, taking Tori's limp form with him.  
  
Yusuke hurried back to the field to report it to the others.  
  
Kurama and Kagome happened to overhear the conversation as he relayed it to them. Botan and Kayko gasped, Yukina whispered 'How could he?', and Kuwabara was just plain mad.  
  
Kagome stared at Kurama with wide eyes as he shook his head.  
  
"It's begun," he said.  
  
"Kurama, we have to do something NOW!" said Kagome worriedly. He sighed.  
  
"There's not much we can do right now. Hiei has her. When she gets away from him, we'll tell her about Hiei's plans, and then see what she does."  
  
Kagome nodded sadly. What had she gotten Tori into? Sure, Tori had been the one to fall in love with Hiei, but only because they'd pushed her into it. She wasn't even sure if it had been Tori's decision to let Hiei mark her. She sighed. What would happen now?  
  
Tori gently stirred, opening her eyes to see sunlight shining through the treetops. She turned her vision a little to the side, noticing Hiei watching her, and she snapped awake.  
  
"Hiei?" she asked, "What happened?"  
  
Hiei smirked slightly, and took her hand, moving it up to her neck, pressing it there. Tori looked at him curiously, when she felt the familiar material on her skin. Her eyes widened. Hadn't Koenma taken this off???  
  
She stared at Hiei. "Why is my collar back on?" she asked suspiciously. Hiei's smirk grew slightly, and he leaned down next to her ear.  
  
"Because it'll keep an eye on you when I can't."  
  
Tori looked perplexed, and Hiei quietly explained all the modifications he'd had Koenma make. Trembling, Tori waited until he was done. Why hadn't she noticed it before???  
  
"Hiei..." she said dangerously, "How long has this thing been on me?"  
  
"Two days, now that I recall," said Hiei lightly, as though he wasn't worried at all that Tori was giving him her deadliest glare. The truth was, he wasn't.  
  
Tori snarled, lunging for him. He easily stopped her, but Tori quickly leapt out of his lap onto the branch, standing precariously away from Hiei. Right now, she was grateful for her ligress's catlike balance.  
  
Hiei watched her calmly as he too stood up, leaning back against the trunk to see what she'd do.  
  
Tori drew out her claws, angrily jumping for him, reaching to dice his shoulder again, when he wasn't there anymore, and her claws instead embedded themselves in the trunk behind him. She pulled to get them out, unsuccessfully, but she suddenly felt two hands strongly grip both of her stuck wrists, and a warm body pressed intimately against the back of her own.  
  
She felt goose bumps as hot breath tickled her neck underneath her ear, followed by lips pressing against the skin. Tori once more was overwhelmed by Hiei's wild scent, and she felt her body going limp again.  
  
Hiei could tell she was growing weaker, and he smirked as he gently nipped her with his fangs. While she was in her stupor, he gently removed her claws from the trunk, lacing his fingers in between hers, whispering into her ear between kisses and nips. He knew she'd melted. She'd given in to him.  
  
And that's why he released her.  
  
Tori quickly came back to her senses, whirling around and staring at Hiei angrily, when she'd realized what he'd done. Her face fell, instead covered by a self-hating expression. He was able to make her soften up. He could make her quiet down without a second thought.  
  
How could she let him? Why did her body enjoy relaxing at his whim? Why did she enjoy being seduced? She glared at the ground far below, and quickly leapt down to it, leaving Hiei in the branches.  
  
Hiei's smirk grew. He'd won, and she knew it.  
  
Tori reached the ground, running from the tree where her captor rested, heading back to the clearing.  
  
Everyone looked up when they saw her, and hurried over.  
  
"You ok, Tori?" asked Yusuke, and Tori smiled at the worry in his voice.  
  
"Tch. Never better, you?"  
  
"Tori, we overheard what happened..." started Botan.  
  
"It's nothing. Forget about it. Let's just play. Oh, and Yusuke..." she started, turning to him, "I never did catch you from before."  
  
Before the shocked detective could react, she'd jumped forward and tagged him on the shoulder, running off.  
  
But when she didn't hear his pursuit, she turned to see all of them staring painfully at her. Somehow, she'd known her bluff wouldn't work. She sighed. So much for changing the subject...  
  
She didn't bother walking back to them, or they'd surely see the hurt in her eyes, and that was the last thing she wanted.  
  
Instead, she told them to keep playing without her, and went to find Kagome.  
  
As she was walking throughout the trees, she felt a hand grip her wrist and pull her behind one of them.  
  
She quickly looked up to see Kurama. "Oh, there you are! You know where Kagome is?"  
  
Kagome came up behind him, giving her the same look the others had. Now Tori was just about pissed. "Ok, will everyone stop giving me those pitiful looks????"  
  
"Tori, there's something you need to know," said Kagome quietly.  
  
"I'm not going to my grave, for Christ's sake! Would you quit being so solemn???" snapped Tori.  
  
"What Kagome's trying to say is..." Kurama explained Hiei's plan to the angry girl, who grew more frightened by the second as he talked.  
  
As he finished, Tori's color had faded out of her cheeks. She stared at both of them, and would have backed away, had the tree trunk not been behind her. She clutched a hand to her heart. Hiei...was he really...going to...?  
  
So, her suspicions had been right. Hiei DID want to take her away from everything she knew.  
  
Kurama went on to say why it was a bad idea, and Tori fully agreed, though she didn't say a word.  
  
As he finished, Tori pushed herself away from the trunk, walking around Kagome and Kurama, staring at nothing as frantic thoughts came into her mind, possessing her, making them all seem like absolutely wonderful suggestions. She could kill herself...yes...or she could kill him...even better...maybe she'd hide...or even...  
  
The last one struck her as marvelous, though she was actually quite out of it.  
  
She could run away.  
  
Yes! It was perfect! Hiei would never find her! She'd run away! He couldn't take her to this Makai place if she wasn't there when he left, right? If she could avoid him long enough, maybe he'd give up! It was brilliant, or so she thought.  
  
Apparently, her little mind spurt had temporarily covered up Hiei's abilities. He was not only lightning fast, but he also had his Jagan Eye to locate her with. And there was her collar, too...but no, this running away was positively genius! In fact, it was so genius she'd run now! Just run! He'd never catch her if she started now!  
  
She gave an insane giggle, turning to the worried couple behind her, giving them a grin.  
  
"He'll never catch me," was all she said before taking off into the forest, using every ounce of ligress speed she could muster.  
  
Kurama and Kagome stared after her.  
  
"Was that the reaction you expected?"  
  
"Not exactly. I really intended for her to go up to Hiei and yell at him, but this seems at bit more drastic than I could've pictured her doing," said Kurama.  
  
"God, I hope she hasn't lost it," said Kagome.  
  
Tori hurried through the forest, laughing to herself. Yes, this idea rocked! It was perfect! He'd never find her where she was going! Wait...where WAS she going? Oh well, she didn't care. All she wanted to do was run. She gave another crazy fit of laughter as she sped deeper into the park, farther and farther away...  
  
She didn't even notice the fact that the collar's electricity had started up again. It zapped her, coursing the bolts throughout her body.  
  
She didn't notice. All she felt was a ticklish sensation, and it made her laugh harder.  
  
But soon, her insanity fit started to wear off, and she was able to feel the bolts more and more by the second. How far away was she now? Five miles? Oh well, she'd keep running. And she did. But her mental veil started to break, and the pain started to break through to her mind, screaming at it to stop.  
  
She wouldn't. She would run, and keep running to the ends of the Earth...the end of Time. No amount of stupid electricity would stop her from being the free spirit she was born to be. None whatsoever.  
  
It wasn't long before Hiei appeared next to the shocked couple in the trees, asking them if they'd seen Tori.  
  
They gave him innocent smiles, and naturally answered No.  
  
The rest of the group came over, with most of them glaring at Hiei, asking the same question. But Kurama and Kagome wouldn't tell.  
  
Kurama protected Kagome's mind with a mental barrier similar to his own so that Hiei couldn't penetrate it for the answers. He saw the frustration working through Hiei's eyes as he tried to force the barrier down while Yusuke and the others talked amongst themselves, wondering what could've caused her to disappear, before throwing Hiei angry looks.  
  
He ignored them, glaring at Kurama with an expression that could kill. Kurama was unfazed. He was quite used to Hiei's threats, and this time wouldn't be any different.  
  
Finally, Hiei stormed forward, grabbing Kurama by the shirt collar.  
  
"I know you know where she is, fox!!" he snarled, "Now give her back!!"  
  
"I don't Hiei, I honestly have no idea where she is," said Kurama calmly, and somehow, Hiei knew it was the truth. Kurama DIDN'T know where Tori was, but he did know what she'd done.  
  
"Then what happened?? What did she do? I know you saw her before she left!" Hiei's eyes blazed with fury. Kurama still was undaunted.  
  
"I'm sorry, Hiei, but I cannot tell you that," he said. Hiei was about to the breaking point. He drew out his sword, pressing it firmly against the kitsune's neck, and Kagome gasped.  
  
"You tell me...now," he muttered dangerously. Kagome trembled. She didn't want Hiei to hurt Kurama, though she didn't know what Kurama was planning.  
  
She quickly threw herself at Hiei, shoving his sword away, yelling,  
  
"SHE RAN AWAY, OK???"  
  
Everyone froze. The anger left Hiei's eyes as quickly as it had come, and was instead replaced with...surprise.  
  
"She...what?" asked Botan. Hiei's eyes fell to the ground, and he glared at it, turning back up towards Kagome, then Kurama, then the others.  
  
Before he could vanish, though, he felt something grab him and drag him to the ground. Furiously, he looked up to see what had dared get in his way, and Kurama's Rose Whip was bound tightly around his arms.  
  
"Kitsune...don't make me hurt you..." snarled Hiei, when he felt something else, a blade.  
  
He looked the other way to see Kuwabara holding his Spirit Sword to Hiei's neck. Everyone's eyes widened.  
  
"If you're gonna hurt any of my friends, you're gonna have to get through me, even if you are one," he said. Yusuke was behind him, pointing his Spirit Gun at the deadly, unpredictable pyre.  
  
"And me," he said. Hiei's eyes narrowed dangerously. They had all turned on him! The traitors! They were trying to keep his own mate away from him! He felt a snarl build up in his throat, when he realized something else, a different option.  
  
"Obviously, you're forgetting one little fact," he said. The others watched him curiously. "The farther she gets from me, the more that collar will hurt her. We don't want that now, do we?"  
  
They hesitated.  
  
"How do we know YOU won't hurt her once you find her?" asked Yusuke.  
  
"She's my mate, I have no reason to injure her," said Hiei simply. He glared at Kuwabara as the sword tip pressed slightly harder against his skin.  
  
"Hmm, I dunno," said Kuwabara.  
  
Kurama sighed in defeat, releasing Hiei from his whip. Inwardly, Hiei smirked. If brawn couldn't win you a fight, then you could always use your smarts, which he had plenty of, now that he thought about it.  
  
Yusuke and Kuwabara glared as they lowered their weapons.  
  
"Fine, go get her," said Yusuke, a hint of anger still in his voice. Hiei didn't need to be told twice. Though he wasn't showing it, he was quite worried about her. However far she'd gotten by now, the collar would NOW be hurting her, wouldn't it? If his stupid so-called 'friends' hadn't held him up, he could have reached her without causing her any pain.  
  
He vanished, following Tori's scent, as well as his Jagan's trail.  
  
Tori found it hard to even take a step. She continued her run through the forest, her body now numb. She couldn't feel a thing, which was kind of a plus; she didn't feel the electricity anymore.  
  
But, how could he? How could he?? Hiei said he'd loved her! Why would he take her away from everything she knew? Why??? It didn't make sense! Her insanity had vanished completely, and she found an enormous tree, almost the size of a redwood, and hid herself in the roots, crying.  
  
She didn't want to leave! She didn't want to! But no, Hiei would make her, wouldn't he? He always did. She didn't want to go to this demon place, it sounded horrible.  
  
Especially if Kagome wouldn't be there with her...  
  
Her tears attracted exactly the attention she'd been trying to lose. She hadn't noticed that the electricity had stopped. All she felt was something warm lie next to her, and a familiar material being draped over her.  
  
Her eyes snapped open, red and swollen from crying, and she slowly turned to greet Hiei's crimson orbs.  
  
She jumped, trying to back away from him, but the roots prevented her escape. She looked behind her, and then back to him.  
  
"Go away," she muttered, turning away from him. Hiei's eyes softened, and he inched an arm about her waist, but she snarled and snapped at him, "Did you hear me?? I'm NOT going to the Makai!! You can't make me!!" She gripped one of the tree roots tightly, hoping Hiei wouldn't be able to pry her loose from it.  
  
Hiei calmly watched her, before once more lacing his arms about hers; gently massaging her hands so they'd let go, and he placed them at her sides, covering her with his cloak. The sun was setting, so the forest was growing dark. Thank God for summer. He turned her around to face him, and he wiped away her tears, pulling her into his body.  
  
Tori broke down crying. Though it was into Hiei's shoulder, the one she'd been trying to avoid, she couldn't help it. Instinct took over, and Hiei allowed her to cry herself dry as he wrapped his arms about her.  
  
When she was done, she rested limply in Hiei's embrace, totally silent. He figured it was his turn to talk.  
  
"Tori...I know you don't want to go...but I can't fight it. If my demon side wants to go back, it will bring you with it. Tori...the Makai is my home. It will call me back, and I will answer the call. I can't escape it, and if you're my mate, you won't escape it, either," he whispered, "I'm sorry if you regret being my mate now, but it can't be helped," he finished in a hushed voice, and Tori quickly realized the meaning of his words.  
  
"Hiei...I don't regret it at all. It's the best thing to have happened to me, but I should've known it'd come with a price. I just don't think I can handle it. I mean, I know this isn't your home and all, but don't you think there's a chance your demon side could reconsider this? I really don't want to go there without another girl to talk to," she said sadly. Hiei felt her loss of cheer, and sighed.  
  
"No, Tori. I can't make it change its mind. This is instinct to me, ok? I can't stop it, I have to follow it."  
  
"I know," Tori whispered painfully, "but don't think that my not wanting to go has anything to do with our relationship, ok? I love you, and always will, even though you DO tend to do the most possessive things to make sure I stay near you," said Tori, snuggling herself closer into her mate's warmth. Hiei slightly smiled at her.  
  
"Well, I'd say we get back to the others," he started, but realized Tori's breathing had slowed down to an even pattern. She was asleep. He sighed, picking her up, giving her cheek a quick nuzzle with his face, and he raced off.  
  
When Hiei arrived back at the clearing, Yusuke nearly jumped on him, thinking Tori was dead. When Hiei finally showed him she was merely sleeping, Yusuke backed off, still grumbling.  
  
He told them Tori hadn't been hurt, she was fine when he found her, bringing much relief to the girls. Hiei looked down at her. There was no need to press her obedience anymore that night. He was already pissed off with his demon side enough as it is.  
  
The group headed back to Yusuke's house, and they all watched the Dream Street tape again, even Tori once she woke up, and they all laughed their heads off when it was over.  
  
There were things surely to come ahead in the race of Time, many things. There was that haze over them though, the haze of the unknown future, the one only Seers could penetrate. Obstacles lurked in the shadows, waiting for the moment to pounce on unsuspecting travelers as they continued the journey of life. No one could know what kind of obstacles, but hopefully, travelers could be prepared to handle them, for if they were not, their lives would turn in a whole new direction...  
  
THE END  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
Tori the Hanyou: Stay tuned for the sequel!  
  
In honor of my finally ending a fanfic, I'm going to give you guys a treat! YAY! This is a poem I wrote, hope y'all love it!  
  
My Hunter, My Panther  
  
Stalking through the night's turned back, A figure clad in the deepest black, Hunts me, stalks me, makes me fear, I cannot see, I cannot hear. He chases me through even my dreams,  
  
I cannot escape him, or so it seems.  
  
Why does he hunt me, with the greatest of care?  
  
Whenever he's near, I feel pricks in my hair.  
  
I cannot take a step without feeling his gaze;  
  
I cannot escape this great mental maze.  
  
His mind tricks, his prowling, just where does it end?  
  
I always look to see what's around the next bend.  
  
For I don't know if he'll be there, waiting to see,  
  
If I am afraid, if he truly frightens me.  
  
It's the terror, the horror that pleases him so;  
  
He won't listen to me when I tell him to go.  
  
It brings him great joy to see me this way,  
  
But I cannot help it, all his actions won't say,  
  
Why he hunts me and stalks me, and frightens me too.  
  
The truth is he loves me, a love that is true. 


End file.
